Main Venue, Viera, Florida
Game start: 19.30 local time

Again having to deal with another thunderstorm delay, the Dutch team was told that their game would finally start at 19.30. After a quick and short warmup in the USSSA – Space Coast stadium, the game would start.

For the Dutch team, pitcher Lisa Bergwerff would start the game versus the United States of America. Bergwerff started off strong, flying out the first batter to left field. After that, she experienced quite some difficulty in order to get the ball in strike zone. In Bergwerff’s first inning, she threw four walks, hit a batter twice, allowed three hits and her field made two outs. This allowed team USA to take the lead by seven.

Fantastic effort by first basewomen Esther Maliepaard.

A mound visit later, starting pitcher Lisa Bergwerff, was relieved by pitcher Berber Jansen. Jansen started her inning with a hit by pitch and a walk. A slow roller to short made sure the inning was finally over.

In the bottom of the first, Winke Verdick, Esther Maliepaard and Isabelle Markies would start off the inning. Team USA’s starting pitcher, Brittany Schutte struck out Verdick and Sofie van de Wiel (Kc). Maliepaard got on base via a sacrifice bunt, and Famke Gildemacher got on base due to an error by short. USA of out of the inning scot free.

Jansen started the second inning, but after two errors, two walks and a run, she was replaced by Ciska Welboren. The first batter Welboren faced, hit a double between right- and centerfield which allowed team USA to score two. The next batter hit a line drive towards first base and first basewoman Esther Maliepaard made a spectacular catch, and threw the ball to second base for the double play. The next batter hit a ball towards short for the third out, ending the American turn.
The bottom of the second inning proved to be fruitful for pitcher Schutte, as she faced three batters and got three consecutive outs. She struck out Inger Wieringa an both Lotte Tanke and Bianca Mooi grounded out.

First first out of the third was made by right fielder Jessica Kroeskop. Ciska Welboren struck out the second batter of the inning, followed by a walk and a double. Causing America to gain an even larger lead, 11-0 America. A fantastic catch made by the Dutch catcher Famke Gildemacher ended the inning.
The Netherlands started the inning with right fielder Jessica Kroeskop at bat. Kroeskop went down due to a catch made by team USA’s right fielder. The next batter Winke Verdick walked and was succeeded by Maliepaard. Maliepaard hit a hard line drive to Schute, the pitcher for the double play at first base, ending the Dutch inning.

Ciska Welboren started the inning with a walk, before being relieved by right handed pitcher Merle Langevoord. Langevoord started off with a runner at first and nobody out. She had some difficulty finding the zone, as she walked three and her field was only able to make one out, before being relieved by right handed pitcher Marijke Veen.

Merle Langevoord throws the ball towards home plate.

Marijke Veen started off with a strike-out for the second out of the inning, a wild pitch and a sloppy throw by the catcher allowed team USA to score twice. Followed by a double of the right fielder, took the score to 16-0 in favor of team USA. A hit by pitch, and two singles later the third out was made at third base by a throw from center fielder Bianca Mooi to third base Sofie van de Wiel.

In the bottom of the fourth the Dutch came awfully close to scoring, as Markies walked, Gildemacher hit an infield single for both first and second base loaded. A double steal by both Markies and Gildemacher brought two runners into scoring position. A soft hit ball towards the pitcher by Inger Wieringa got the first out, as Isabelle Markies went for home and team USA made the play at home. Lotte Tanke followed with a solid hit for bases loaded. The next batter, Bianca Mooi grounded out to end the inning, with a still intact shut-out for team USA.

Bianca Mooi holding off the runner at third base.

In the fifth and final inning of the game, the outfield was of utmost importance. Two outs were made by the centerfielder, Mooi, and the final out of the inning was made by leftfielder Verdick.
Eventually the game was decided by a fly-out in right field and two strike-outs, 18-0 for the USA