Dutch edge Italy in pitching duel, win 3rd straight European Championship

After almost scoring at will through most of the tournament, Team Netherlands had their bats nearly silenced today by Italy, as Mara Papuzzi, Gretta Cecchetti and strong Italian defence limited them to 4 hits in the game. Still, they managed to manufacture 3 runs and win 3-0 behind a complete-game shutout by Lindsay Meadows, who gave up 5 hits.

The Italians knew they had their work cut out for them in the final game of the 2013 European Women´s Championship and in the end they fell short, but they battled valiantly to the end.

Starting pitcher Mara Papucci went 4 1/3 inning and gave up 3 runs on 4 hits while striking out 4. She started well by sitting them down in order in the first inning, but the potent Dutch lineup whacked out back-to-back triples to start the second. First Saskia Kosterink sent a ball into the right field corner and pulled into third base standing out, then Virginie Anneveld sent a flare into right-centre that both Andrea Montanari and Lara Cechetti were running hard for and ran into each other, allowing the ball to roll to the fence. With things looking like they could go sour quickly, Papucci bared down and struck out the next three batters in succession--the last two on called third strikes.

If there was an undoing to Italy in this final game, it was bases on balls. The Dutch added two more runs in the fourth inning on no hits but three walks. Kosterink led off with a walk, then stole two bases and scored on a Merel Oosterveld ground-out. Dinet Oosting also got aboard with a walk and scored when a potential inning-ending ground ball to second wasn´t fielded cleanly.

Italy actually out-hit the Dutch in the game, but most of their production came with two out and, in fact, were never able to get a runner to third base in the game. Twice they had two runners on with Montanari at the plate--author of the only runs scored against the Netherlands in the tournament--but she popped up in the third to end the inning and was left holding the bat in the fifth when Eva Trevisan was thrown out at third on a double-steal attempt.

A tiring Papucci was lifted in favour of Greta Cecchetti with one out in the fifth, and she retired the remaining Dutch batters without allowing a baserunner.

In the end, though, the pitching of Meadows and the Dutch defence were just too formidable a foe.

Post-Game Comments

Lindsay Meadows (pitcher for Team Netherlands): "Any time you pitch in a final game, you always want to be at your best. It was a game right to the end and that kept me sharp. Italy´s a really good team, as they showed today and they have some hitters that if you make a mistake, they´ll make you pay. And the defence behind me was fantastic, as they always are."

Mara Papucci (pitcher for Team Italy): "It was a good game today, really close. I suppose I pitched well, but I´m still disappointed to lose. It´s a challenge to pitch against them because they have no weak hitters, but I suppose I´m at my best when I´m under pressure. I´m proud of this team and what we accomplished here this week, but of course I would be happier with a gold medal."