DUTCH NATIONALS TIE KBO HEROES IN WBC WARMUP

After falling behind 3-0 early in the game, the Dutch National Team rallied to score two runs in the third and another counter in the fifth to finish with 3-3 tie against the Korea Baseball Association’s Heroes team last Sunday in Bradenton, Florida. The Dutch team is training in the USA prior to next month’s World Baseball Classic.

The Netherlands fell behind after Dutch starter Juan Carlos Sulbaran allowed three Heroes runs on seven hit in the first two innings. However, Danny Rombley’s two-run single in the fourth brought the Dutchmen to within 3-2, and ex-major leaguer Randall Simon drove in fellow former MLBer Eugene Kingsale with the game-tying run one inning later. The exhibition game was called after nine frames with the score still knotted up at 3-3.

The Netherlands and Italy are home to Europe’s only fully professional baseball leagues, and are the only two European nations in the WBC. Holland will play in Group A with the United States, Canada and the Dominican Republic at Toronto’s domed Rogers Centre in March.