By PONY League Baseball
European Zone Champions the Netherlands continued their fantastic offense as they dominated Asia-Pacific Zone champion Seoul, Korea (SCORE) to reach the championship game of the Colt World Series. Ruendrick Piternella was the star for the Netherlands, as he led the team with three RBI’s.
It took a while for the offenses to get going, but Korea broke through in the bottom of the third as Kim Tae Ho reached on a fielder’s choice, and came all the way around to score when Sem Robberse and Darryl Collins both committed throwing errors on an attempted pickoff.
The Netherlands finally came up with a response in the top of the fifth when Nolan Beugeling led off with a single to left. Leanardon Anasagasti reached on a bunt single and both runners moved up a base on a passed ball. Shuruengelo Mingeli hit a grounder to third, but Kim Han Byul couldn’t handle it, and Beugeling scored, tying the game at one. Jeandro Tromp drew a walk to load the bases, then Denzel Bryson walked, bringing home a run and giving the Netherlands a 2-1 lead. Tyler Boersma followed with a single to center, scoring Anasagasti and extending the lead to 3-1. Darryl Collins then singled to right which scored Tromp, and the lead was 4-1. Ruendrick Piternella hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Bryson and Beugeling followed with a single that snuck under the center fielder’s glove, which scored two and stretched the lead to 7-1 after 5 innings.
The men in orange added to their lead in the top of the seventh, as Tyler Boersma got things started with a one-out infield single and Tomas Kwakernaak followed with a single, this time to left. Both runners moved up a base on a passed ball and both came home on Ruendrick Piternella’s triple to deep right and the lead was 9-1. Piternella came home on a balk, and the lead stretched to 10-1 heading to the bottom of the ninth.
Korea’s bats weren’t dead yet and Na Seung Yeup started the inning with a triple to deep center. Jeon Jin Woo was then hit by a pitch and Kim Tae Ho hit a grounder that was bobbled by Tyler Boersma at second, scoring Yeup and making the score 10-2. No Jee Woo doubled to left, scoring Woo and Ho, cutting the lead to 10-4. Woo came home when Max Kops dropped a fly ball in shallow right, and Yun Jae Yeong when Shim Jae Young singled to right, narrowing the deficit to 10-6 and putting the tying run in the on-deck circle. However, Na Seung Yeup grounded out to first and the Netherlands escaped with a 10-6 win.
The Netherlands advance to the championship game and will play Upland, California on Wednesday at 7:00 PM. Seoul, Korea is eliminated from the tournament.