The past few days we didn’t follow the American Trip of the Netherlands Women Softball Team with that intense. The squad has completed their tour to San Francisco and Hawaii on Sunday. The players already should have returned to their homes. It was a pretty successful series of exhibitions, winning twelve of the fifteen games. Last time we checked they had crushed the Chaminade University in a doubleheader. Let’s take a short look at the remaining six games:
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They faced Point Loma Nazarene University on Wednesday, winning by a score of 4-3. Jolanda KROESSEN overcame the 0-3 deficit with one hit, slugging a grand slam over the left field fence. Anouk MELS started and was charged with three runs in five innings. Judith VAN KAMPEN replaced her and received the win.
ISU 000 000 0 0 1 2 NED 010 101 X 3 8 0
A day later they opened the Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament with a one-hit shutout against the Idaho State University. Judith VAN KAMPEN returned to the mound and threw a complete game. Only two batters of Idaho reached second base. Nina VAN HUISSTEDEN and Saskia KOSTERINK provided the run support with two RBI-singles and a sac fly.
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In the second match of the day, the Dutch team had to overcome a 1-4 and 5-6 deficit to secure a victory against the University of Washington Huskies squad. It was an offensive slugfest with a total of 41 base runners. Every of the nine Netherlands starters reached base at least twice. Nathalie TIMMERMANS and Noemi BOEKEL were responsible for seven of the eight runs. They had to rally two times to decide the game into their favor. TIMMERMANS and BOEKEL hit RBI-singles for the winning runs. Kristi DE VRIES started, but was hit hard in three-plus innings. Rebecca SOUMERU relieved her in the fourth and got the win. Judith VAN KAMPEN replaced her in the seventh to earn the save.
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On Friday they met with the Southern Illinois University in game one of the doubleheader. They blew a 4-2 lead in the seventh and last inning to lose 4-5. The Americans loaded the bases against Anouk MELS. She was replaced by Dagmar BLOEMING, who gave up two RBI-singles to tie the game and a bases-loaded walk to end the contest. MELS had relieved starter Rebecca SOUMEROU in the sixth. Debby CONNOR, Jolanda KROESEN had RBI-singles. Nathalie TIMMERMANS hit a two-run-homerun.
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They also lost the second game on the day. This time in extra-innings. The University of Hawaii scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth on an infield single. The Dutch team had tied the game in the sixth through a RBI-triple by Noemi BOEKEL and a following RBI-single by Sandra GOUVERNEUR. Judith VAN KAMPEN started and was relieved by Kristi DE VRIES in the fifth, who took the loss.
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They came back strong on Saturday to finish their trip on a positive note. They defeated the Eastern Kentucky University with a 8-0 shutout. Nathalie TIMMERMANS (three RBI, two runs scored on the day) and Jolanda KROESSEN hit homeruns. Kristi DE VRIES started and threw a complete game shutout, allowing six hits, while striking out three.
The American trip was just the first step for the Netherlands Women Softball Team on their way to the Olympics in Beijing. They will compete in the European Championships this May, followed by a second trip to the United States to compete against professional teams. They will also play a series of matches against an Allstar squad in Holland and finish the preparation with a tour to Japan. You can follow their program on their official website.
