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For the fourth consecutive edition the Kingdom of the Netherlands confirms himself on the top of Europe, imposing himself in the final of the “Paschetto” in Turin on Israel resulting in 9-4 obtained a comeback with home runs by Roger Bernadina (1-2, 3PBC) e Ricardo Dashenko (2-5, 2PBC).

After the first launch ceremony, entrusted to Christian Aimaro, president of Iren Ambiente, a company of the group Irish – golden sponsor di Piedmont 2021 -, the final act of the European Baseball Championship can begin with the final between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Israel, which involves the clash between the pitchers Juan Carlos Sulbaran, born in ’89 from Willemstad (Curaçao) former prospect of the Cincinnati Reds and historical pawn of the oranje national team, and Joey Wagman, already a protagonist in this edition both on the mountain and in the quarter-final decided by his walk-off against Great Britain.

The match seemed to smile right away at the Kingdom of the Netherlands: JC Sulbaran, in fact, equipped with a tip with important speed peaks, he immediately put the batters in royal blue uniform in crisis, closing a quick first inning with the collaboration of the outsiders Jiandido Tromp e Roger Bernadina. The national team of Evert-Jan T’Hoen, for its part, had some difficulties facing the launches of Wagman, which closes the first inning with a strikeout on the former Fortitudo Bologna Ray-Patrick Didder. Fortune, however, seems to turn for the orange team: at the beginning of the second inning, in fact, Israel changes its defensive structure with Wagman passing from the mound to the left outside, Ben Wanger leaves the first base for salure on the mound and the defenders Jordan Petrushka e Itai Goldner they pass respectively from the right fielder to the first base and from the left fielder to the right outside. The oranje take advantage of it: Sharlon Schoop takes three pitches to get to first base thanks to a line in the right fielder, but an inside serve of Denzel Richardson sacrifices it in second place. The receiver arrives in the box Dashenko Ricardo, another of the historic faces of the Dutch national team, and the music changes: with one ball and two strikes Schoop is capable of stealing the second (also taking advantage of a decidedly weak base shot by the receiver Tal Erel) and, after the out on Ricardo, is a rebounder in the gap between third and second base beaten by Juremi Profar (brother of the more famous Jurickson, currently under the San Diego Padres and star of over 600 MLB appearances with the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics uniforms) to drag home the first point of the game.

Sulbaran gives the feeling of being in great shape and in the third inning dominates an opponent’s attack that is too hasty and that instead gives the impression of being out of time on the tips of the 30-year-old starting pitcher chosen by T’Hoen. Ben Wanger in the meantime he enters the bubble and in the upper part of the fourth inning the game experiences another turning point, the one that at the moment seems to be the most important: Juan Carlos Sulbaran seems distant relative to the one seen in the first third of the game and begins to quarrel with the strike zone. Nate Fish’s batters, on the other hand, demonstrate much more discipline, exactly as showcased Friday night in Avigliana against Italy, and work long accounts: You Kelly arrives in base with full account e Mitch Glasser he follows closely after seven pitches. The Dutch bullpen gets underway with Kevin Kelly which accelerates the warm-up while Ben Wanger succeeds in making the forward runner move with a collected sprint from the right fielder Didder. Another base on ball, by Assaf Lowengart, fills the bases and five launches later, with a Sulbaran increasingly in difficulty, Israel draws thanks to a sprint of sacrifice beaten by Robert Paller which marks the end of Sulbaran’s day. In its place the veteran Kevin Kelly, with a past also in Italy with the Rimini uniform. The newcomer is unlucky on a rebound of Jordan Petrushka which undermines the second base who, despite the dive, fails to complete the play, allowing the Israeli advantage point before closing the innings with a strikeout against damage Joseph Wagman.

The Kingdom of the Netherlands tries to raise its head at the change with a single leadoff of Sharlon Schoop on a slow but effective parabola, which arrived at the eighth pitch of the turn in the serve and fell into the left fielder. Luck, however, once again does not seem to smile to the reigning champions who witness an elimination in second on a rebounding of Richardson and, a little later, to a double-cross joke of Profar which ends the Dutch attack. Israel instead strengthens and, after trying in the fifth inning, makes the big voice in the upper part of the sixth inning where Ben Wanger arrives at base with a right line for a serve from a base, while a wrong pass of Kevin Kelly results in a monstrous home run, which ended well beyond the right fielder, which bears the signature of Ossaf Lowengart. At 4-1 Kelly’s day ends, replaced by Aaron De Groot (one of the heroes, just weeks ago, of the U23 European Championship won in Verona) and Holland closes the innings.

Ben Wanger’s spell runs out in the seventh inning: Polonius e Tromp they hit two consecutive singles and Fish thinks of a new change. Out left fielder Wagman, Wanger returns to first base and leaves mound a Charles Rossman while Jordan Petrushka and Itai Goldner return to the right fielder and left fielder respectively. The new entry proves decisive: for the Dutch. Roger Bernadina, a highly experienced player, finds a beatable pitch that punctually hunts off the pitch for a kilometer homer from three points. The oranje draw, but do not stop and return to base with Didder (single), good at immediately stealing the second and moving to third on crazy launch. Holland is a thousand while Israel sees witches: that’s how it is Schoop, with a texas in the right fielder, he drives home the overtaking point (5-4) while a bunt of Dwayne Kemp (entered the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter for Denzel Richardson) literally knocks Rossman to the ground, who still manages to save himself thanks to the defense. It is too late: T’Hoen resorts to the weapon Wendell Floranus who seats, in order, Assaf Lowengart and Rob Peller with strikeout watched, and Petrushka with strikeout shot before further four points placed on the scoreboard against the new entry Shlomo Lipetz and arrived in the lower part of the eighth inning on a single to the left of Schoop (two points) and a monstrous two-point home run hit by Dashenko Ricardo and finished well beyond the safety net located between the mattresses and the scoreboard. For the Kingdom of the Netherlands, go ahead 9-4, it remains only to wait for the lower part of the ninth inning, closed again by Wendell Floranus with a strikeout (fourth base) and a bouncy one played from second base Sharlon Schoop for the first out made by Juremi Profar and which allows the celebrations to begin.

At the end of the game, winnings for Roger Bernadina, which wins the prize for the highest number of stolen bases (6) in addition to that of MVP of the Tournament thanks to a triple line of .375/.633/.750 out of 6 games, 12 points beaten at home, 3 doubles and a home run. For Israel the pitcher Benjamin Wanger wins the prize of average wins while the blue Mattia Mercuri wins the prize reserved for best defensive play.

from Turin, Luca Giangrande

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