In front of a full house of 3,000 at Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem, Netherlands for the afternoon game and 3,750 for the evening affair the Honkbalweek Haarlem continued on Saturday with two games. Australia beat Chinese Taipei in the afternoon, while the Dutch national team prevailed over Curacao in the evening. In between over 2,000 people in the stands followed a youth game between the Twins and Roef!.
Chinese Taipei 000 003 011 5 12 1 Australia 300 030 03X 9 10 2
Australia scored three runs apiece in the first, fifth and eighth to down Chinese Taipei 9-5. Former Neptunus Rotterdam hurler Dushan Ruzic conceded seven hits and three runs (2 ER) in 5 2/3 innings to pick up the win. Luke Hughes initiated the Australia attack with a three-run home run in the first. En Sih Huang allowed eight hits, six runs (3 ER) and three base on balls in five innings to take the loss. French umpire Serge Makouchetchev, who will be working the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Brooklyn in September, was behind the plate for the game.
Curacao 100 000 000 1 9 4 Netherlands 010 002 30X 6 9 1
The Netherlands beat Curacao 6-1 in the evening game of the Honkbalweek on Saturday. For the Dutch team it was their first appearance in the tournament this year, while Curacao already had lost to Japan on Friday. Dwayne Kemp broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run single. He drove in three overall. Gianison Boekhoudt hit a solo home run and drove in two. Diegomar Markwell earned the win in relief of Orlando Yntema. Ruderly Manuel took the loss.
The 28th edition of the Honkbalweek Haarlem continues on Sunday with a matchup between Chinese Taipei and the Netherlands in the afternoon and the contest between Japan and Australia in the evening.