The Honkbalweek Haarlem continued on Wednesday with the last day of the preliminary phase. The Netherlands beat Australia to remain undefeated and to conclude the first round in first place. Both teams will meet again on Thursday evening in the double elimination round playoffs. In the afternoon Japan had shut out Chinese Taipei to clinch third place. Also these two teams will meet again on Thursday.
Chinese Taipei 000 000 000 0 4 1 Japan 000 010 00X 1 6 0
Japan celebrated a 1-0 shutout over Chinese Taipei in the afternoon game at Pim Mulier Stadium on Wednesday. Japan scored the lone run in the bottom of the fifth. This was all the pitchers Takuya Kato, Kazuya Yoshino, Ryo Takeuchi, Ichiro Tamura and Kazuya Ojima needed, as they combined to allow just four hits and a walk in nine scoreless innings. Yu Pu Wang got charged with the loss, issuing six hits, a run and three base on balls in five innings.
Netherlands 105 000 100 7 11 1 Australia 101 000 000 2 4 1
The Netherlands scored five runs in the top of the third en route to a 7-2 victory over Australia on Wednesday evening in a meeting of 3-0 clubs. Gilmer Lampe had the big hit during the rally with a two-run home run. Dwayne Kemp also went deep for the Dutch team. Trent Oeltjen homered for Australia. Jim Ploeger picked up the win, conceding four hits, two runs and a walk in seven innings. Kevin Kelly and Tom de Blok closed it out. Bonn Capitals’ hurler Wilson Lee suffered the loss, giving up seven hits, six runs and a base on balls in 2 1/3 frames.