Day one of games are completed in Utrecht, Netherlands and the first wins and losses have been recorded in the Europe/Africa Olympic Qualifier.
Great Britain followed Nerissa Myers’ two home runs to a 9-2 victory over Spain. Myers, the former Louisiana-Lafayette star, gave her the team the lead with a 2-run shot in the third inning, a lead they would ultimately never relinquish. The home run got the British offense going; former Pacific Amy Moore added an RBI double before Myers’ second home run of the game started another offensive outpouring in the sixth inning that led to a mercy rule victory for the British.
Top-ranked Italy were a hit-by-pitch away from perfection, recording a 7-0 win over African opponent Botswana. Italian hurlers Greta Cecchetti and Ilaria Cacciamani combined for a 5-inning no-hitter, with thirteen strikeouts between the two pitchers. Amanda Fama and Laura Vigna led the way for the Italian offense, with perfect 2-2 showings at the plate and five RBI between the two players. Emily Carosone, in her first action in an Italian uniform, went 1-3 on the day and scored twice.
The Czech Republic rode a 5-run inning to victory over France, resulting in a final score of 6-1 over the French squad. The Czechs saw seven starters record at least one hit in the game, while third baseman Veronika Klimplova posted a 3-4 performance in the game. After an early run, the Czechs exploding for five runs in the fourth inning behind a Lucie Petraskova RBI double, an RBI triple from Klimplova, and an RBI single from Adela Weissova.
Host country the Netherlands took on South Africa and were the only team to reach double-digits in scoring on the Qualifier’s opening day with an 11-1 victory. The Dutch team scored eleven runs on twelve hits in the 4-inning mercy-rule-shortened affair. Britt Vonk went 3-3 from the leadoff spot for the Dutch, scoring three runs, while Virginie Anneveld tied for the team lead with three RBIs.
Europe/Africa Olympic Qualifier – Day 1 Final Scores:
Great Britain 9, Spain 2
Italy 7, Botswana 0
Czech Republic 6, France 1
Netherlands 11, South Africa 1
