The Netherlands continued their reign as European Baseball Champions by defeating their eternal rivals from Italy: 15-0 in a game shortened to seven innings. Dutch coach and ex-professional short-stop in the majors, Robert Eenhoorn saw his team overcome a difficult 3rd inning and use its power hitting to gain the 19th European Championship.

Robert Eenhoorn Stats

The victory was very sweet, as their rivals Italy wasn't given any chance in this one-sided game. The Dutch needed to revenge themselves for a poor showing at the world stage of the Athens Olympic Games.

Star pitcher Patrick Beljaards came in as reliever in the third inning, when Italy had the bases loaded and two out. Patrick struck out the batter to finish the inning and never got into trouble during the rest of the game.

In the 5th inning, team Orange scored five runs with a timely double by Evert-Jan 't Hoen, clearing the bases. In the 6th it was the bat of Sidney de Jong with a grandslam-homerun. Ivanon Coffie hit his eigth homerun of the European championship in the 6th inning, making certain the ten run margin rule ended the game after the Italians failed also in their last at bat to score a single run.

Finals, Sunday:
NETHERLANDS      15 Italy             0
             (7 innings)

HELSINKI (Reuters) July 17, 2005 -- Indonesia and Aceh rebels will sign a truce on Aug. 15 after agreeing today a formula for ending the 30-year-old conflict that has cost 12,000 lives in the province devastated by last December's tsunami.

Jakarta and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) initialed a deal on how to disarm the guerrillas, withdraw Indonesian troops, monitor a ceasefire and reintegrate the rebels socially and politically. It will be formally signed in Helsinki next month.

"It is a historic moment, we finally reach a peaceful settlement that has been longed for so many years by the people of Aceh and by the people of Indonesia," Indonesian Information Minister Sofyan Djalil was quoted at the talks in Finland. "Society can live peacefully and we can rebuild Aceh after it has been destroyed by the tsunami."

In the devoutly Muslim province of 4 million people on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra, which has long history of revolt against Jakarta and Dutch colonial rule, there was little patience with the political details of the talks.

TSUNAMI - Worse, Much Worse Beyond Any Imagination ◊ by creve coeur