The Netherlands are European Champion of Baseball. On Sunday the Dutch national team beat Spain 3-2 in a thrilling championship game at the European Championship in Hoofddorp, Netherlands. Spain tied the game in the eighth, but the Netherlands prevailed after all, scoring the game-winner in the tenth on a walk-off single.
For the Netherlands it’s the 22nd European Championship in the 31st final and 31st participation. For Spain it’s the second silver medal since 1954. They had last played in a final in 1955, when they were European Champion. Italy captured bronze after finishing the Winners Round Robin in third place ahead of Germany, Czech Republic and Belgium.
The final between the two dominant teams of the 2016 tournament was all the neutral fans hoped for. It was a dramatic back and forth battle in front of a full house with an official attendance of 3,350 at ETO Ballpark.
The Netherlands struck first, taking a 2-0 in the second. Gianison Boekhoudt, Dwayne Kemp and Randolph Oduber loaded the bases with no outs and Nick Urbanus hit a single through the middle for a two-run base hit. However the Dutch failed to blow the score open in the frame and Spain stayed in the game. In the following innings Spain had plenty base runners and opportunities to tie the game, but Engel Beltre struck out.
In the eighth it looked like another missed chance, when Oscar Angulo and Beltre led off with back to back singles and then Angulo got picked off by Dutch catcher Dashenko Ricardo at second. After the Netherlands missed out on scoring in the bottom of the eighth, extra innings were needed to decide the outcome of the championship game.
With the extra innings rule in effect two runners were placed on first and second to start the inning. Spain played it by the book and ordered Luis Guillorme to lay down the bunt, moving Blake Ochoa and Daniel Martinez to third and second with one out. Angulo and Beltre were up, but both didn’t put the ball in play against Dutch closer Loek van Mil, striking out swinging.
The Netherlands didn’t really have a chance to execute the sac bunt in the bottom half of the tenth, as Christopher Garia got hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. De Caster wasted no time and hit a walk-off RBI single up the middle for the game-winner.
Prior to the game a moment of silence was held for Alonso Perez, Vice President of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, who died last week. Haarlemmermeer deputy mayor and Alderman John Nederstigt threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
During the closing ceremony Netherlands shortstop Stijn van der Meer was named Most Valuable Player of the European Championship.
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