Italy has won the Women’s Softball European Championship in Rosmalen, Netherlands. They are now leading the Dutch team 10-9 in the all-time title list. In the Gold Medal Game (Video on Demand) on a windy Saturday Italy scored twice in the top of the fifth en route to a 2-1 win over the Netherlands.
Soclaina Van Gurp had given the Dutch team a 1-0 lead with a solo shot in the second. But Eva Trevisan came through with a two-run single in the fifth to turn the score around. Greta Cecchetti allowed just one run on seven hits and two walks in seven innings for her fourth win in the tournament.
Cecchetti already had one-hit the Netherlands on Friday in the 2-0 semi-final to lead Italy into the championship game. The Dutch team then went on to beat the Czech Republic 1-0 on Saturday to pick up the second final berth. Eva Voortman and Ginger De Weert had issued six hits, but no runs in the game. Veronika Peckova was charged with a tough loss, conceding just one hit, a run and two walks, while striking out 14 of the 22 batters she faced. Once again Van Gurp had driven in the game-winner with a triple in the second.
Due to the weather on Saturday two consolation round games got cancelled and the Gold Medal Game was pushed back to 7.30pm.
Final Standings
|
1
|
 ITALY |
11
|
 SWEDEN |
|
2
|
 NETHERLANDS |
12
|
 UKRAINE |
|
3
|
 CZECH REPUBLIC |
13
|
 DENMARK |
|
4
|
 RUSSIA |
14
|
 SLOVENIA |
|
5
|
 GREAT BRITAIN |
15
|
 POLAND |
|
6
|
 AUSTRIA |
16
|
 SLOVAKIA |
|
7
|
 GERMANY |
17
|
 CROATIA |
|
8
|
 SPAIN |
18
|
 SWITZERLAND |
|
9
|
 FRANCE |
19
|
 IRELAND |
|
10
|
 GREECE |
20
|
 ISRAEL |
Complete results, stats and daily reports at www.competition.europeansoftball.org
Photo by Ezio Ratti, FIBS