Winners Round Robin: Netherlands – Italy
Italy 000 002 010 2 5 8 0 Netherlands 100 000 011 3 6 15 3
The Netherlands overcame deficits of 1-3 and 3-5 against Italy in a heartbreaking 6-5 extra-inning comeback win on Friday evening in the winners round robin at the European Championship in Hoofddorp. The Dutch team scored runs in the eighth and ninth to force extra innings. In the tenth they answered Italy’s two-run top half with three runs in the bottom half to remain undefeated in the tournament. Italy dropped to 2-2.
The Dutch team opened the clash of Europe’s powerhouses in front of an official attendance of 2,450 with a solo home run by Yurendell de Caster. They still led 1-0 when the scoreboard switched to the sixth inning. A RBI single by Jairo Ramos and a sac fly by Alessandro Vaglio put Italy in front 2-1. Another RBI single by Ramos in the eighth made it 3-1. They loaded the bases in the frame, but left three stranded. In the end this helped the Dutch team to turn the game around. In the bottom of the eighth a RBI double by Dwayne Kemp cut the deficit to a run. In the ninth Italy struck out two batters, but Kalian Sams singled in De Caster with the tying run to send the contest into extra innings.
With the extra inning rule in effect, Italy scored two runs in the top half. An error and a sac fly by Alex Sambucci plated Erick Epifano and Alex Liddi. But also this two-run lead wasn’t enough. A double play groundball brought Sams home. With two outs Stijn van der Meer and Chris Garia had RBI singles to secure a walk-off 6-5 win for the Dutch.
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