World No. 32 Germany hosted No. 9 Netherlands on Sunday in Cologne, in a pair of friendly games that represented the first international women’s softball games of the year, after the COVID-19 pandemic had shut down international competition. The Orange team swept the double-header with Germany with 9-1 and 12-2 victories.
It was the first time that two National Teams in the sport of softball faced off in any category since the 2020 WBSC U-18 Men’s Softball World Cup final between Japan and Australia, played in Palmerston North, New Zealand, in March.
Both Germany and the Netherlands are tuning up for next year’s European Women's Softball Championship, which is set for 4-10 July in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy. The champion from this continental championship will qualify for The World Games 2022 Birmingham.
The Netherlands finished as the runner-up in the 2019 European Championship, while Germany took 10th place.
Photo courtesy Sascha Schneider.
