In the Dutch Hoofdklasse Softball, the semi-final series started last weekend. Sparks Haarlem and the Tex Town Tigers are up 2-1 after the first three games of the best-of-five series. Haarlem surprisingly lost the opener to the Centrals by a score of 2-3 after Lisa Sweeney’s gem, but came back to win game two 11-1 and game three 7-5. Kim Kluijskens, Areke Spel and Debby Connor set the highlights with homeruns in the two victories.
In the second semi-final the Tex Town Tigers and Iber Lengua Terrasvogels are locked into close pitcher’s duels. In game one the Tigers prevailed 1-0 when Lindsey Meadows (7 IP, 3 H, 13 SO) out-dueled Aimee Murch (7 IP, 4 H, R, 8 SO). Merel Oosterveld drove in the lone run with a RBI double in the fifth. Oosterveld scored the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh of a 2-1 victory in game two, as Meadows again went the distance for the win. Terrasvogels avoided the sweep in game three behind a complete game shutout of Femke van Dusschoten, who allowed just three hits and two walks through seven innings.
Results Semi-Finals:
Thursday, September 16:
Sparks Haarlem – Centrals 2-3 Box score
Iber Lengua Terrasvogels – Tex Town Tigers 0-1 Box score
Saturday, September 18:
Centrals – Sparks Haarlem 1-11 Box score
Tex Town Tigers – Iber Lengua Terrasvogels 2-1 Box score
Sunday, September 19:
Sparks Haarlem – Centrals 7-5 Box score
Iber Lengua Terrasvogels – Tex Town Tigers 4-0 Box score
Schedule Semi-Finals:
Saturday, September 25:
14:00 Centrals – Sparks Haarlem
14:00 Tex Town Tigers – Iber Lengua Terrasvogels
Sunday, September 26:
14:00 Sparks Haarlem – Centrals*
14:00 Iber Lengua Terrasvogels – Tex Town Tigers*
*if necessary