Monday 21 August – European Women’s Cup Week began on Monday for the Barbarians, one of two British women's club teams competing in Europe this year. But it was an 
inauspicious start as the Barbarians lost to the host team and tournament favourites SV Roef by 13-3 at the European Women’s Cup Winners Cup B in Moergestel in the Netherlands.
The game was close for the first couple of innings, but the Dutch scored eight runs in the top of the third inning and built up a mercy rule lead that brought the game to a close after five innings.
The other British club team competing in Europe this year, The Mix, will play their first game in the European Women’s Cup in Zagreb, Croatia, on Wednesday.
The Mix qualified for Europe by winning the Women’s Division in the Great Britain Fastpitch League (GBFL) in 2022, while the Barbarians qualified as runners-up.
SV Roef 13, Barbarians 3
This game was the first the Barbarians had ever played in European competition, and the luck of the draw pitted them against probably the strongest team in the tournament.
A walk followed by a double play meant that SV Roef had two out and no one on in the top of the first inning against Barbarians’ starter Cheyenne Vogel, but then a hit batter and three straight singles brought in two runs for the Dutch team.
Barbarians reduced the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the second inning on a leadoff walk to Julie Winkel, a groundout that moved Julie to second, and a single by Cheyenne Vogel.
But Roef’s Nicky Uytendaal homered to lead off the top of the third inning, and after four more runs were scored on two singles, two walks, a wild pitch and a triple by Kate Geldof, Lea Maartens replaced Cheyenne Vogel as the Barbarians’ pitcher and initially struggled with control. By the time the inning ended, SV Roef had a 10-1 lead and were in charge of the game.
A single Roef run in the top of the fourth inning made the score 11-1, and the game would have ended on the mercy rule after four innings, except that Barbarians weren’t ready to go quietly and scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth against the second Dutch pitcher, Eline Brandsma.
Control was the issue for Brandsma, who hit a batter, walked three, threw three wild pitches and gave up a single to Lea Maartens, and suddenly the Barbarians had two runs in, the bases loaded, and no one out.
But the Dutch then brought in a new pitcher, Anna Maria Westberry, and with two quick strikeouts and a fly ball to centre field, she got the Dutch out of the inning with the score standing at 11-3.
SV Roef scored a final two runs in the top of the fifth inning, the Barbarians went down in order in the bottom of the frame, and the British team’s first European game ended in a 13-3 defeat
Scores and standings
Seven teams are competing in the European Women’s Cup Winners Cup B this year, and they will play a full round-robin over the course of the week to determine which teams will play in the bronze and gold medal games on Saturday.
Scores on Monday were:
Challengers Zurich (Switzerland) 11, Titans (Botswana) 6
SV Roef (Netherlands) 13, Barbarians (Great Britain) 3
Titans (Botswana)12, Medvenica Mrki Medvedi (Croatia) 7
Crazy Chicklets (Austria) 8, Thunderbirds (Israel) 1
SV Roef (Netherlands) 15, Medvenica Mrki Medvedi (Croatia) 0
Standings after the first day of play are:
SV Roef (2-0)
Challengers Zurich (1-0)
Crazy Chicklets (1-0)
Titans (1-1)
Barbarians (0-1)
Thunderbirds (0-1)
Medvenica Mrki Medvedi (0-2)
Looking ahead
The Barbarians will play two games on Tuesday 22 August, against the Crazy Chicklets from Austria at 11.00 am Dutch time (10.00 am in the UK) and then against Medvenica Mrki Medvedi from Croatia at 4.00 pm local time.