Exhibition Game in Rotterdam, July 8:
Netherlands – Cuba 3-2
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One day before the start of the Haarlemse Honkbalweek the Netherlands and Cuba met at the Familie Stadion in Rotterdam for an exhibition game. And the Dutch team stunned the Baseball power house with a 3-2 win.
Cuba took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second, when Alexeis Bell scored on a sac fly by Daniel Castro. But the defending European Champion came right back answering with a RBI single by Raily Legito in the bottom of the third. The Caribbean team regained the lead one frame later thanks to a RBI single by Castro.
Cuba failed to score again and the Netherlands took advantage. Sidney de Jong drove in Dirk van’t Klooster with a one-out single in the sixth. Moments later Bryan Engelhardt scored the game-winner on a sac fly by Jason Halman.
Both teams used the last warm-up match before Haarlem to give their pitchers some work. Kevin Heijstek got the start for the Netherlands in his home ballpark, allowing seven hits and two runs in five innings. Southpaw Gregory Gustina picked up the win in relief. Cuba used seven pitchers in game with Yoelkis Cruz taking the loss.
Mister-Baseball’s correspondent Pim van Nes:
Cuban bats flew unintentionally to their first base coach and to fans behind third base, but their hits did not harm Dutch relief pitchers. Gustina, Berry van Driel and Nick Veltkamp together face only 13 Cuban batters in last four innings and defend one run lead close to perfectly. Seven Cuban pitchers combined in eight innings for nine strikeouts, but also conceded seven hits.