Dutch Win European Championship
10 August 2011
DUTCH ARE EUROPEAN CHAMPS AGAIN
The Netherlands successfully defended their European Women’s Championship title, defeating Italy, 10-2, this past Saturday at the 20-nation fast pitch event.
Saskia Kosterink, a member of the 2008 Olympic team and a BackSoftball Athlete Ambassador, led the way with a double and a home run and five runs batted in. Just 24 hours earlier the Dutch had needed an extra inning to defeat Italy, 5-1, after the host country had tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The top three finishers earned a berth in next year’s ISF XIII Women’s World Championship, meaning that the Netherlands, Italy, and Great Britain have all clinched a spot at the event next July in Canada.
The other participants in last week’s European tournament – listed in order of finish – were: Czech Republic, Russia, Spain, France, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Ukraine, Israel, Poland, Denmark, Croatia, and Switzerland.
