Mister Baseball

by Pim van Nes

Without unlikely surprises in the last three round robin games, all four foreign teams will qualify for the semi-finals in 24th Haarlem Honkbal Week. These two semi-final games are scheduled for Friday evening and Saturday evening. The two winners will meet in the grand finale on Sunday at 15.00 h, the consolation finale for Haarlem’s bronze medal will be played as from 11.00 h on Sunday morning. Three teams are sure of their appearance on Sunday, as they have lost one or none so far since the tournament started a week ago: USA still unbeaten and Cuba and Japan were defeated once by leader USA. Taiwan needs one win out of their last two games versus Dutch Caribbean and Team USA. Tonight the Netherlands will face Cuba in its mathematically last chance game to reach semi finals.

After yesterday’s doubleheader for Cuba versus Taiwan (3-0) and Japan (5-3), the tournament’s home team played a crucial duel versus the university all star team representing USA. Though it had started to rain again, the game took off with starting pitchers Diegomar Markwell for the Netherlands and Brett Hunter for the USA. Each of the two kept the attacks very short, despite of an aggressive first inning for the Dutch batters reaching base three times. Six times in ten innings the Dutch lead-off reached base: a walk in the first and singles in the second, the fifth, seventh, eighth and tenth inning.

The only run scored by the Netherlands, however, was in the seventh after Dirk van’t Klooster’s single off tired pitcher Hunter, a sac bunt by Roel Koolen and a walk for Mark Duursma. It was pinch hitter Bryan Engelhardt who batted in the tie scoring run off first reliever Tyler Lions: 1-1. In the fifth inning USA designated hitter Derek Dietrich recognized a pitch from Markwell and crowned it to a one-out and none-on homerun: 0-1. Dietrich had a good eye, as it was already his second hit in the game, but his homerun was also only the second hit by the entire USA offense.

Markwell had kept all other batters silent until the seventh inning, when catcher Ryan Lipkin doubled. Never in nine innings had the USA leadoff batter reached base. Markwell was relieved in the ninth inning after having conceded two singles as hits three and four. The first time that the USA leadoff batter reached base was in the tenth inning and produced the game deciding run: 2-1. Shortstop Ryan Jackson singled off first reliever Berry van Driel and scored with fourth reliever Michiel van Kampen pitching and left fielder Josh Fellhauer hitting in a fielder’s choice. Also Team USA used four pitchers to protect its unbeaten status in Haarlem. Kendal Voltz became the winner in the extra inning.

Pim van Nes
Baseball writer for
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