(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Amsterdam Pirates wins exhibition-game against DSS/Kinheim
Nederlands
 AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
Amsterdam Pirates won 8-7 in a 9-inning game against DSS/Kinheim on Tuesday-evening (March 26).
This additional exhibition-game was added to the schedule last weekend.
Last Sunday, almost all games were cancelled due to weather- or field-conditions.
And so, the coaches of Pirates and DSS/Kinheim got an extra opportunity to prepare for the new season, which opens on Thursday-evening, April 11.
In these games, final scores are not important.
Players, including some rookies or newcomers, are getting additional playing time and pitchers of course get extra innings to built up their pitch-counts.
With that, Head Coaches Mervin Gario (Pirates) and Etienne Meijer (DSS/Kinheim) inserted a total of twelve pitchers, seven by Pirates, five by DSS/Kinheim in what was the first night-game for both teams.
Martijn Schoonderwoerd, Scott Prins, Sven van de Sanden, Wesley Jansen, Jensely Keyzer, Casper Urbanus and Maickel Rietel all took the mound for Pirates.
The pitchers for DSS/Kinheim were Jasper Elfrink, Mike Groen, Rick Timmermans, Finn Blokker and Robyn Clara.
The first four all threw two innings.
Clara threw the bottom of the ninth inning, which was played though Pirates had the lead at that moment, meaning a complete 9-inning game was played.
Although the game was close, it was reported that Pirates had the lead from the beginning.
Coming weekend, Amsterdam Pirates travels to Belgium to participate in the international Johan Veraghtert Tournament at the sites of hosts Borgerhout Squirrels and Deurne Spartans.
Dutch big leaguer Oosterhout Twins also will participate, as will Brasschaat Braves (Belgium) and Cologne Cardinals (Germany).
DSS/Kinheim and Curaçao Neptunus will play a double-header on Saturday in Haarlem.
A week later, during the final preparations for the new season, Pirates participates in the In Memoriam Charles Urbanus, Sr. Tournament at site of HCAW in Bussum, while DSS/Kinheim is one of the participating teams in the Haarlem Series at the site of Onze Gezellen in Haarlem.
On Thursday-evening, April 11, reigning Dutch champion Amsterdam Pirates and DSS/Kinheim both open the new season at home.
Pirates hosts HCAW, while DSS/Kinheim is visited by Hoofddorp Pioniers.
(March 26)
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