After having won 5-0 and 3-0 in the first two games, HCAW came close to another shutout-win today.
The team led 9-0 after eight innings, but Pirates then scored twice in the ninth to end its scoreless streak.
Amsterdam Pirates got runners in scoring position in five of the first eight innings, but was unable to score.
The team then finally scored its first two runs of the season in the top of the ninth.
HCAW collected sixteen basehits, including three by Delano Selassa and Jeandro Tromp.
Except for Julian Goins, all players in HCAW's starting batting order got at least one basehit.
In the first inning, Jules Cremer doubled for Pirates with one out off of HCAW-starter Dennis Burgersdijk, but he stranded on second base.
With two outs in the second inning, Duco Nuijten reached on a fielding-error by Burgersdijk, then Jorrit Penseel singled.
The two advanced via a double-steal, but they were left behind, as Burgersdijk then closed by striking out Jason Jakobus.
Pirates was retired in order in the third and fourth inning.
HCAW got an early chance to do some scoring in the first inning off of starter Scott Prins.
Delano Selassa led off with a double, but Prins then struckout Victor Draijer.
Hereafter, Jeandro Tromp grounded the ball back to Prins.
Selassa took off from second base, got in a rundown and was eliminated.
In the meantime, Tromp had reached first base, then tried to advance to second base during the rundown, but was also eliminated, which completed an inning-ending double play.
HCAW was then retired in order in the next two at bats, but opened the score with one out in the fourth.
After having retired seven batters in a row, Prins gave up a homerun to Victor Draijer.
Pirates got a chance to come alongside in the top of the fifth.
Duco Nuijten led off with a single, but then was eliminated in a double play after next hitter Jorrit Penseel lined out to second baseman Brendly Martina.
However, with two outs, Pirates came in scoring position again.
Jason Jakobus singled and stole second, then Alex Madera walked.
They stranded, as Dennis Burgersdijk struckout Jules Cremer.
The Amsterdam-team again got a runner on second base in the sixth.
With one out, Denzel Richardson walked and stole second base with two outs.
Hereafter, Oliver van der Wijst Severino also walked.
But they also were left behind, as Burgersdijk again closed with a strikeout, this time for Duco Nuijten.
And so, Pirates had left seven runners behind in these six innings, five on them in scoring position.
Moments later, HCAW struck with three runs in the bottom of the sixth.
With one out, Brendly Martina singled and scored on a triple by Delano Selassa, who was able to continue running and to score himself when a throwing error to third base followed.
With HCAW now leading 3-0, Victor Draijer and Jeandro Tromp both singled, which led to a pitching-change.
Maickel Rietel took over, but he gave up a single to Quintin de Cuba, which loaded the bases, followed by a runscoring single by Kevin Dirksen.
A double play ended the at bat.
In the top of the seventh, off of new pitcher Jasper Elfrink, Pirates got its first two batters on base.
Jorrit Penseel led off with a walk and Jason Jakobus singled.
A bunt by Alex Madera then led to a force out at third base.
A wild pitch gave Pirates runners on second and third base, but a strikeout and groundout followed.
With 4-0 lead, HCAW decided the game with a 5-run rally in the bottom of the eighth.
Benjamin Meyer became the new pitcher for Pirates, but he ran into problems quickly.
Delano Selassa, Bob van der Meer and Jeandro Tromp all singled, which led to a run and runners at the corners.
Tromp advanced to second base on a grounder by Quintin de Cuba.
With one out, Kevin Dirksen and Shurman Marlin followed with runscoring singles and Max Draijer added an RBI-double, which lifted the lead to 8-0.
Another pitching-change followed.
Finn Kragt took over, but he walked Julian Goins and then gave up a runscoring single to Brendly Martina.
This was the seventh basehit in this at bat.
An infield-fly and flyout ended the long inning and HCAW now had a comfortable 9-0 lead.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, Pirates scored its first runs of the season.
New pitcher Arjen Nijkamp walked lead-off hitter Duco Nuijten, but he was forced out on a grounder by Jorrit Penseel.
After Jason Jakobus had also walked, Pirates got runners on second and third base on a grounder by Alex Madera.
With two outs, both scored on a following single by Jules Cremer.
And that ended a streak of 26 2/3 scoreless innings.
Moments later, a force play ended the game.
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HCAW completes sweep vs. Amsterdam Pirates on emotional afternoon
BUSSUM (Neth.) -
HCAW won 9-2 against Amsterdam Pirates on Sunday-afternoon (April 9) to complete a sweep of the Opening Series of the 2023 season.
On Friday-evening, the defending champion opened the season with a 5-0 win in what was almost a No-Hitter.
Winning pitcher Kaj Timmermans gave up his first basehit in the eighth inning.
On Saturday, HCAW won 3-0 in Amsterdam.
On both Friday and Saturday, HCAW scored all their runs in the same inning.
Today, the Bussum-team scored in three different at bats.
With an 1-0 lead, HCAW took more distance in the sixth, then decided the outcome with a 5-run rally in the eighth inning.
Opening Weekend 2023 Season.