The Netherlands have won the 2011 European Softball Championship in Ronchi dei Legionari, Italy. They defeated Italy in the championship game on Saturday evening by a score of 10-2. Four runs in the opening period got them a comfortable lead. Three runs in the fifth and three in the sixth sealed the mercy ruled victory. Lindsey Meadows pitched four scoreless no-hit innings for her third win in the tournament. She struck out five. Saskia Kosterink led the way on offense, clearing the bases with a double in the first and hitting a two-run homerun in the sixth to drive in five runs overall. Stella Turazzi didn’t get out of the first frame, taking the loss.
The Dutch team already had beaten the host in the first semi-final on Friday evening, needing four runs in the top of the eighth to celebrate an extra-inning win. Italy followed the Netherlands into the finals with a 1-0 shutout over Great Britain on Saturday afternoon. The Czech team lost to the British squad on Friday and finished in fourth place.
Results Day 6&7:
Friday, August 5:
Final Round:
Great Britain – Spain 6-0
Czech Republic – Russia 7-6
Great Britain – Czech Republic 2-0
Italy – Netherlands 1-5 (8)
9th to 12th:
Germany – Sweden 2-1 (8)
Slovakia – Belgium 7-8
13th to 16th:
Ukraine – Israel 11-10 (8)
Hungary – Bulgaria 3-14 (4)
17th to 20th:
Croatia – Denmark 9-14
Denmark – Poland 0-7 (5)
Croatia – Switzerland 16-9 (6)
Saturday, August 6:
17th to 20th:
Poland – Switzerland 13-12
13th to 16th:
Israel – Hungary 0-1
Bulgaria – Ukraine 7-0 (Forfeit)
Final Round:
Austria – France 4-9
Italy – Great Britain 1-0
Spain – Russia 3-6
Netherlands – Italy 10-2 (6)
Final Standings:
- Netherlands
- Italy
- Great Britain
- Czech Republic
- Russia
- Spain
- France
- Austria
- Germany
- Belgium
- Sweden
- Slovakia
- Bulgaria
- Hungary
- Ukraine
- Israel
- Poland
- Denmark
- Croatia
- Switzerland