7-3 win puts Dutch into final, but Italians give them biggest test so far

The relentless Dutch attack was at it again, getting at least one hit in every inning and scoring 7 runs on 13 hits overall. The Italians gave them their biggest test yet, though, scoring the first runs against them and also being the first team to force them to play the full seven innings. The Dutch advance to Saturday´s final, while the Italians go to the semifinal, where they will face either Russia or the Czech Republic.

Through the first two rounds of the tournament, the Dutch were never seriously tested. In fact, they were never even scored upon or required to play more than five innings in any game. That was almost the case again in Friday´s game against Italy, but for two spectacular plays from one player.

The Dutch entered the top of the fifth inning leading 4-0. The Italians had kept them off the scoreboard in the first two innings and appeared to have blanked them in the third as well, before an illegal-pitch call negated Britt Vonk´s inning-ending fly out to left field. Given a second chance, she drew a walk, then scored on an RBI double by Saskia Kosterink, who was in turn driven in by Virginie Anneveld. They then added two more in the fourth inning.

The rally continued into the fifth inning, and when Dinette Oosting drove in the inning´s third run to give them a seven-run lead, it appeared their string of shutouts and mercy-rule-shortened wins would continue. But centre fielder Andrea Montanari had other ideas.

With two on and two out, Nathalie Gosewehr sent a towering drive deep to left-centre field that seemed destined to sail away for a home run and widen the gap to 10 runs, but the Italian centre fielder reached her glove over the fence and hauled it back in, which brought a standing ovation from the fans in attendance, including from the prominent Dutch contingent.

"That´s one of the finest plays I´ve seen in a long time. Certainly in this tournament so far," an impressed Dutch coach Craig Montvidas said afterward.

"I knew I had it all along. I knew where the fence was and I could see where the ball was going to," explained Montanari of her feat--clearly confident in her abilities, although still disappointed by the overall result.

The Italians still had to score, though, to extend this game, and it didn´t look like they would. After the first two batters went out, Eva Trevisan kept the game alive with a single to up the middle--she went 3-for-4 in the game. Sandra Bosdachin then doubled to the fence to put runners in scoring position, setting the stage for Montanari to pull off her second amazing feat of the game. After robbing the Dutch of a three-run homer, she hit one of her own to almost the exact same place in the park. Thus, in one swing of the bat, she had driven in the first three runs of the tournament against the Netherlands in addition to forcing them to bat in the sixth inning.

There was no more scoring the rest of the way. Though briefly put back on their heels, the Dutch regained their composure and held on for the win.