The French couldn’t conquer the European mountain, the Netherlands. Dominating every facet of the game, the Dutch left the young French team with nothing. Final score: 9-0.
Four pitchers took the mound for France (Antoine, Coste, Esposito, and De la Rosa), none of whom were dominant, each allowing multiple walks. At the plate, the French managed just 3 hits (Brown, Jiminian, and Hanvi), not enough to rattle the Dutch defense, which didn’t see a single French player reach first base. Some impressive defensive plays, double plays, and a standout performance from Miguel Lopez at third base. The difference in skill level was evident. Many Dutch players have experience in minor or even major leagues. On the French side, only Martinez is at that level.
Several fly balls were caught just short of the fence, notably by French center fielder Jiminian, but the Dutch managed a two-run home run in the eighth inning.
Was there any doubt? Probably not, as the Dutch were the tournament favorites. Now, France faces Ukraine and Croatia. With two wins, France could finish second in their group and advance to the quarterfinals.
Broadcast quality was good with nice replays, but the scoreboard crashed in the seventh inning. Paying €8 to watch this kind of competition is a bit steep…
Match statistics here
This Monday, France vs. Croatia at 17:30 here
