UVV broke an 1-1 tie by scoring twice in the sixth inning, but the 3-1 lead was not enough.
Hoofddorp Pioniers got one run back in the seventh, then rallied for five runs in the eighth inning to win 7-3 on only four basehits.
UVV opened the score in the bottom of the first inning off of starter Just van den Ouweelen.
With one out, he walked Ryan Wheat, who played in his first big league-game.
The American also played for UVV last season, when it captured the title in the First Division.
Quin Cotton followed with a single and a double-steal gave the home-team runners on second and third base.
Wheat then scored the first run on a passed ball.
Hoofddorp Pioniers came alongside in the top of the second inning off of starter Sam van der Meer.
He walked lead-off hitter Duncan Beljaards, who moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, then advanced to third base on a grounder by Miquel Willem.
With one out, Beljaards scored on a single by Vincent Mevissen.
In the next four innings, Pioniers was kept scoreless by Van der Meer, but left three runners behind in scoring position.
Van der Meer retired the side in the third inning.
With one out in the fourth, he hit Duncan Beljaards with a pitch.
Moments later, he advanced on an errant pick-off attempt, then a grounder by Miquel Willem, but stranded on third base.
In the fifth inning, Van der Meer walked lead-off hitter Jack van Gorkum.
Another throwing error during a pick-off attempt followed, which enabled Van Gorkum to move to third base.
Hereafter, Andreas Meijer was hit by a pitch and stole second base.
But with runners on second and third base and no outs, no runs were scored.
First, Bodhi de Vreede grounded out, which kept the two runners at their respective base.
Next, Pioniers got the bases loaded when Terrance Heemskerk walked.
However, the three runners were left behind, as Van der Meer struckout next batters Michael Dumitrescu and Daan Terstall.
UVV also got a scoring opportunity in the fourth and fifth inning.
With one out in the fourth, Just van den Ouweelen gave up a single to Jorge Luis Espinal Ventura, who then was awarded second base on a balk-call.
Van den Ouweelen struckout next batter J'mar Calliste, but then gave up a single to Stefan Kuipers.
Espinal tried to score, but was eliminated at the plate on a throw from leftfielder Michael Dumitrescu.
With one out in the fifth, Etienne van Tielraden doubled and moved on a grounder by Timothy Rojas, but he was left behind on third base.
UVV broke the 1-1 score with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.
With one out, Jorge Espinal singled, stole second base, then stole third base with two outs.
Next, UVV got the bases loaded when Stefan Kuipers and Lucas Bekker both walked.
When Just van den Ouweelen also walked next batter Etienne van Tielraden, UVV took a 2-1 lead and a pitching change followed.
Maarten Smit took over, but he walked Timothy Rojas, which led to another run.
A grounder ended the at bat and three runners were left behind.
However, UVV had taken a 3-1 lead.
Pioniers got one run back in the top of the seventh.
When lead-off hitter Jack van Gorkum was hit by a pitch, a pitching change followed.
Aaron Isenia took over, but enabled Van Gorkum to move into scoring position via a wild pitch.
The rookie then moved to third base on a single by Andreas Meijer and scored on a grounder by Bodhi de Vreede.
With Meijer on second base, Isenia struckout the next two batters to end the at bat.
In the bottom of the seventh, it was UVV that left a runner behind on second base.
With the game closing in on the 10:30 PM curfew-time, the eighth inning began and turned out to be decisive, as Pioniers rallied for five runs.
Daan Terstall led off with a walk, advanced on a passed ball and reached third base on a single by Duncan Beljaards.
An error on a force play-grounder by Miquel Willem enabled Terstall to score the tying run.
Beljaards and Willem both were brought to the next base on a sacrifice bunt by Vincent Mevissen.
With first base open, a force play was created by walking Jack van Gorkum intentionally.
But as happens regularly in these kind of situations, the force play-grounder didn't come.
Instead, Andreas Meijer produced a 2-run single.
Moments later, Van Gorkum scored on a wild pitch.
Meijer then advanced to third base on a grounder by Bodhi de Vreede.
After Aaron Isenia had hit next batter Terrance Heemskerk with a pitch, Meijer scored on another wild pitch.
Heemskerk stranded on second base, as Isenia closed by striking out Michael Dumitrescu (who struckout four times tonight).
However, Pioniers had turned the game around and now led 7-3.
In the bottom of the eighth, Maarten Smit walked lead-offf hitter Stefan Kuipers.
He was forced out on a grounder by Lucas Bekker, who then stranded on first base, as a line out and flyout followed.
And that also ended the game.
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Hoofddorp Pioniers comes from behind to win opener vs. UVV
VLEUTEN (Neth.) -
Hoofddorp Pioniers opened its 3-game series against UVV on Wednesday-evening (April 26) with a come-from-behind 7-3 victory.
Pioniers was outhit 6-4 by UVV and trailed 3-2 after seven innings, but then rallied for five runs in the top of the eighth to turn the game around.
The game then ended shortly thereafter, as the 10:30 PM curfew-time had been reached.
Ryan Wheat (UVV) makes his debut in the Dutch big league.