By Bob Fromer
Friday 3 July – The GB Men’s Fastpitch Team trailed the Netherlands, winless so far in the WBSC Men’s World Championships here in Saskatoon, for five-and-a-half innings in their consolation playoff quarterfinal today until three runs in the bottom of the sixth gave GB a 3-2 win.
The result puts GB into tomorrow’s consolation semi-final against Mexico, who defeated the Philippines today 7-0. A win over Mexico would see GB through to the consolation final tomorrow afternoon at 3.30 pm Canadian time (10.30 pm in the UK) against the USA or Guatemala.
Short-handed
With GB’s #2 pitcher and top batter Rich Haldane suspended from this game because of his part in yesterday’s brawl with the Argentinians (see http://www.britishsoftball.org/news/view/gb-men-fall-short-of-playoff-goal-in-saskatoon), the burden fell on GB #1 Kyle Linton, and he answered the call, pitching all seven innings and giving up just two runs, four hits and one walk while striking out nine.
But for most of the game, GB could do little with soft-throwing Dutch pitcher Jeffry Visser, who pitched mostly to contact and recorded only three strikeouts, but kept the GB hitters off balance and gave up only two hits and one walk until that fateful bottom of the sixth. Then, during his third time round the order, GB finally solved the puzzle.
By that time, however, the Dutch had established a 2-0 lead and it looked like it might be enough.
The first Dutch run came in the top of the third inning. Anthony Beaumont singled and Glennsig Polonius doubled to lead off the inning and put Dutch runners on second and third. Kyle Linton struck out Jeff Delfina, but Dutch leadoff hitter Randy LoATjong came through with a sacrifice fly to score pinch-runner Jerome Wouters, running for Anthony Beaumont.
Late rally
So the Dutch had a 1-0 lead, and that’s the way things stayed until the top of the sixth inning, when they scored again. With two out and no one on, Eldrick Dijkhoff singled, stole second and scored on another base hit by Enrique Javier.
Suddenly GB were just six outs away from an unceremonious exit from the tournament at the hands of a team that hadn’t won a game in Saskatoon, but had beaten out Great Britain for the third World Championship qualifying place in last year’s European Championships, forcing GB to get to Saskatoon on a wild card.
When Kyle Linton flew out to centre field leading off for GB in the bottom of the sixth, things were looking a little grim. But now GB turned over the batting order, and suddenly there were consecutive singles off Jeffry Visser by Ryan Martin, Kevin Stockford and Kenny Pregnell, all slashing outside pitches through the infield into right or right-centre field, scoring Ryan and giving GB runners on first and third. Except that Kenny Pregnell had gone a little too far around first as the Dutch throw chased Kevin Stockford to third and the throw back across the diamond nailed Kenny for the second out with GB still trailing 2-1.
Kenny pounded the dirt in frustration as he walked off the field, but a few moments later he had a chance to make amends as he ran for Kevin Stockford on third under the catcher substitution rule and the Dutch started giving GB gifts. A passed ball allowed Kenny to come home and tie the score on a nice slide and James Darby followed with a walk (only Visser’s second base on balls). Darrin Newson then delivered the coup de grace, smashing a double to the fence in right centre field on Visser's first pitch that brought James Darby all the way around to score to go-ahead run.
Thus reprieved, Kyle Linton and GB made quick work of the Dutch in the top of the seventh inning, on a fly ball to centre, a pop-up to first and a strikeout of Anthony Beaumont to end the game, send the Dutch home (at least metaphorically) and send GB to a consolation semi-final.
Hard work
In the past, in ISF (now WBSC) World Championships, the pool games would be played (two groups of eight), the top four from each group would go forward to playoffs, and the bottom four from each group would be done, with three days to sit around watching games and paying hotel bills.
But at least if, like GB in 2004 and 2013, you just missed a playoff spot, then you were ranked ninth or tenth in the world on the basis of that pool performance, and GB was ranked ninth both times (in 2009, in Saskatoon, GB did make the playoffs, lost their first playoff game and finished eighth).
Since 2013, however, the ISF/WBSC has decided to provide a consolation playoff that gives the bottom eight teams more games, and forces them to work for their ranking spot. So had GB lost to the Dutch, they might have been ranked 15th; by winning they can’t finish lower than 12th; and if they get to the consolation final and win, they will finish – once again – ninth.
So losing to the Dutch today in Saskatoon would have been too awful a fate to be contemplated, and luckily, GB avoided it and will play again tomorrow.
Playoff results
Here are the playoff match-ups and results so far:
Championship Playoffs
Japan 8, Czech Republic 3 (Czech Republic is eliminated)
Venezuela 5, Argentina 1 (Argentina is eliminated)
Canada 8, Australia 3
New Zealand 8, Dominican Republic 0
Consolation Playoffs
USA 7, Indonesia 0 (forfeit)
GB 3, Netherlands 2 (Netherlands are eliminated)
Guatemala 3, Denmark 1 (Denmark is eliminated)
Philippines 7, Mexico 0 (Mexico is eliminated)