The Netherlands pulls away late to beat Brownsville
Final Score: Netherlands 11 Brownsville, Texas 8
Defending Colt World Series and European Zone Champion the Netherlands got all it could handle Saturday afternoon from South Zone Champion Brownsville, Texas. Because of a five-run top of the seventh inning, the Netherlands built up enough run support for Nick Boxelaar and Jelle Bing to close the game out in the seventh for an 11-8 win.
The game was tied 6-6 going into the final inning for the Netherlands. Nick Hofer and Jair van Borkulo walked, before a fly out led to the first out. A wild pitch during Pim Vijfvinkel’s at-bat allowed Hofer and van Borkulo to move up 90 feet. Vijfvinkel reached on an error, as Hofer scored. Van Borkulo came home too and was out at the plate, but a defensive obstruction call by Brownsville’s third baseman led to another run (8-6).
Mick Vos singled and advanced to second, as Vijfvinkel moved around to third. Darryl Collins brought home both base runners on his single up the middle. Collins later took second and third thanks to wild pitches, beforeRuendrick Piternella singled home Collins to score the Netherlands fifth and final run of the inning (11-6).
Brownsville would not go down without a fight. With two outs and runners on second and third, Heriberto Maldonado scored on a wild pitch and during the next at-bat, Jose Banda scored on another. Unfortunately for the South Zone Champions, the comeback stopped there at 11-8.
Both teams combined to commit nine errors, leave 17 runners stranded on base and walk 18 times during the contest.
Pitnernella led the Netherlands at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a team-leading three RBI and two runs scored. Collins was the Dutch’s leader in runs scored with three. BrandonBetacourt’s triple represented the only extra-base hit in the game for Brownsville. Maldonado was 1-for-1 with three walks and two runs scored for the South Zone Champions.
The win propels the Netherlands on in the winner’s bracket. The team will face Caribbean Zone Champion Levittown, Puerto Rico in Game #11 tomorrow at 4 p.m. CT/US. On the other side, Brownsville falls into the loser’s bracket. Texas will take on North Zone Champion Bay City, Michigan in an elimination Game #10 tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. CT/US.
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