The third and last leg of their exhibition series between the German and the Dutch National Teams took place on Sunday, September 20, in Enschede, Netherlands.

The softball players of the Kingdom of Holland team remained unbeaten in the third doubleheader against the German national team. Team Orange won both games in Enschede with the results of 7-0 and 10-0. 

After victories 1-9 and 2-12 in July in Wesseling, Germany, and victories 7-0 and 10-0 in Enschede in August, the Dutch National Team won twice against the German National Team.

In game 1, the Kingdom team was much more productive. The consecutive doubles of Dinet Oosting and Cindy van der Zanden gave the Dutch a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the first game. The advantage became 3-0 when the German defender made an error on a single from Maxime van Dalen, which allowed both Brenda Beers and Wies Ligtvoet to score. Onaïsha Franka managed to score 7-0 and finish the match early because of the mercy rule.

In the second game, Dutch pitcher Marjolein Merkx has only given up only two hits in four innings. The orange attack produced four runs in the first inning and three in the second, also thanks to a home run by Laura Wissink. With a strikeout on German Mara Sandner, pitcher Marjolein Merkx ended the game in the fourth inning with the result of 10-0.

Dutch player Britt Vonk was rewarded in the second game, having played her 159th international match, the new Dutch record, previously held bu Sandra Gouverneur. Vonk was honored by KNBSB and Softball Europe board member Petra Arends.

/ Elda Ghilardi
Photos courtesy of Sascha Schneider