The European Pro Softball Series presented by WBSC came to an end today, with a 13-7 victory over the Netherlands. The National Pro Fastpitch Team (NPF) team finished the tour unbeaten with seven victories in as many games.
The game was played in a very cold afternoon in Haarlem, Netherlands, with a light rain falling on Nol Houtkamp stadium. Despite the weather, a good crowd was present for the final act of the series.
Both teams managed to score in the first inning. USSSA Pride jumped early on starter Lindsay Meadows to score the first three runs of the game. With the bases loaded and one out, Shelby Pendley hit a double to right-center field to clear the bases. Jessica Burroughs made her first pitch of the game with a 3-0 lead, but the Netherlands also put a run in the scoreboard, with an RBI single by Chantal Versluis to left field.
Pride had another big inning in the second, including a 3-RBI triple by Bianka Bell to right field, and RBI singles by Megan Wiggins and Sahvanna Jaquish to make the score 8-1.
However, in the bottom of the 3rd frame the Netherlands touched Burroughs again with a pair of 3-run shots by Jessie Van Aalst and Britt Vonk to make it 8-7.
But one inning later the Pride sent nine batters to the plate and stretched the lead again with four runs, including a 2-RBI single by Mandie Perez. In the 5th USSSA added one more with a sac fly by Andrea Duran to center field, to put the score 13-7.
With this game the European Pro Softball Series presented by WBSC finished with a huge success. All the stadiums were packed in Italy, Czech Republic and Netherlands. Besides, the Pride held clinics for young players in every city they visited, so the impact of the tour will have effects in the long term for our sport in the European country.
Tomorrow USSSA Pride will head to France to hold a clinic at the Softball Academy of France in Boulouris, Côte d’Azur, next Friday.
