At the Europe/Africa Softball Olympic Qualifier 2019 in Utrecht, Netherlands day two of the first round got played with four games on Wednesday.
In the morning game France reached the win column with an 11-2 victory over Botswana. Eight runs in the first inning decided things quickly. Due to a whopping 12 errors by Botswana – compared to five by France – the French team needed only three RBI to score the 11 runs. Kimane Rogron picked up the lone extra base hit of the game with a double out off a three-hit performance.
On early afternoon Great Britain picked up its second win in as many games with a 15-0 shutout against South Africa. 10 runs in the first also decided this contest in the beginning. Elizabeth Fleming and Georgina Corrick combined for three one-hit innings. Sydney Brown went 3-for-3 with three runs and four RBI.
Later in the afternoon Italy and the Czech Republic provided the first close game of the tournament with the better ending for Italy. The team of manager Enrico Obletter defeated the Czech Republic 2-0 for their second win. Erika Piancastelli and Lisa Birocci scored in the second and sixth, while Greta Cecchetti struck out 11 in a complete game two-hit shutout. Veronika Peckova surrendered six hits, two runs and two walks in the loss. The matchup was the first game without Dutch participation to draw a couple of hundreds spectators.
In the evening another lopsided result appeared on the scoreboard, as the Netherlands earned their second win with a 7-0 shutout against Spain. The Dutch team scored in every of the five innings played. Wies Ligtvoet and Jessie van Aalst scored two runs apiece. Ginger de Weert, Rebecca Soumeru and Eva Voortman combined to keep Spain to one hit and a walk in five innings. Prior to the game Andre Prins got inducted into the KNBSB Hall of Fame. After the ceremony he threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Complete coverage of the Europe/Africa Softball Olympic Qualifier can be found at www.wbsc.org.
Photo by Jane Verhoeven