 Victories for league-leaders
Nederlands
  ROTTERDAM / AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
League-leaders L&D Amsterdam Pirates and DOOR Neptunus were both outhit on Friday-evening, but nevertheless left the field as the winning team.
Amsterdam scored seven runs in the first at bat vs. Vaessen Pioniers, but failed to enlarge its lead to a 10-run difference, then saw the lead get smaller and smaller, but eventually won 10-8.
Neptunus registered another small victory against last placed ADO, winning only 3-1.
The series between these teams will end on Saturday-afternoon, as Amsterdam and Neptunus then will focus on the European Cup-tournaments, that will open on Wednesday.
DOOR Neptunus vs. ADO
At Rotterdam, DOOR Neptunus was outhit 8-5 by ADO, but won 3-1.
ADO also reached base more than Neptunus, but also left the most runners, as the team from The Hague stranded 10, including five in scoring position and the bases loaded in the fourth inning.
ADO was productive in the first three at bats, hitting three basehits off starter Kevin Heijstek, while Neptunus was held hitless by Quincy Lambertina and reached base only once.
The lone player to reach base was Mike Bazuin, who was hit by a pitch with two outs in the first at bat.
Bazuin, who played in his first game of the season and first for Neptunus since 2008, tonight started at third base, instead of Raily Legito, who entered the game in the fourth at bat.
Neptunus, which had played with almost the same batting order for the entire season, had some more changes tonight.
Besides Bazuin at third base, Australian Tom Brice was the DH instead of Rien Vernooij, who tonight played at first base, instead of Jeffrey Arends, who didn't play.
Because of this, Bazuin and Brice batted in the number 3 and 4 spots of the batting order, which normally are being filled in by Legito and Arends.
In the fourth at bat, ADO was close to opening the score.
Dave Steward led off with a single, then moved to third base on an one-out double by Enrique Tromp.
The bases were then loaded when Gernald Nicolaas was hit by a pitch.
But then Steward was forced out at home on a grounder by Patrick Wabbijn and then the inning ended when Jan Baldee flied out.
In the home of the fourth, Neptunus then scored the first run of the game, but also ran itself out of the inning.
First, Benjamin Dille led off with a single.
Mike Bazuin then doubled, which was followed by an outfield-error that enabled Dille to score.
Next, Tom Brice walked.
Hereafter, Brice was forced out at second base on a grounder by Dwayne Kemp, but that also led to a double play, as Bazuin was tagged out running towards third base.
A line out by Rien Vernooij then ended the at bat.
Neptunus added a run in the fifth inning.
Eldrion Regina led off with a walk, stole second base and advanced on a wild pitch.
He then scored on a sac-fly by Shaldimar Daantji.
Later, Raily Legito was hit by a pitch, but then was left at third base.
ADO got one run back and threatened to score more in the sixth.
Kevin Heijstek first walked Dave Steward, then gave up singles to Bas Mol and Enrique Tromp to load the bases.
Heijstek was relieved by Jorian van Acker, who then saw a run being scored on a squeeze sac-bunt by Gernald Nicolaas.
But then Mol was eliminated on a grounder by Patrick Wabbijn and the inning ended when Jan Baldee lined out.
In the eighth inning, ADO got two runners on base with one out off new pitcher Berry van Driel when Mol singled and Tromp walked.
A flyout and strikeout then ended the at bat.
In the home of the eighth, Neptunus added an insurance run.
Raily Legito led off with a double and advanced on a wild pitch.
He then scored on an one-out single by Mike Bazuin, who was 3-for-3.
Hereafter, Jurandy Girigiro, the scheduled starter for Game 3 on Saturday, was brought in as new pitcher and ended with two flyouts.
In the top of the ninth, closer Arshwin Asjes became the fourth Neptunus-pitcher, retired the side, including two strikeouts, and earned his sixth save.
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L&D Amsterdam Pirates vs. Vaessen Pioniers
At Amsterdam, L&D Amsterdam Pirates was outhit 19-11 by Vaessen Pioniers, but won 10-8 in a game, which it almost led slip out of their hands.
Amsterdam rallied for seven runs in the first inning off starter Lars Huijer, but then was held scoreless unless the eighth at bat.
In the top of the first, Pioniers left runners on first and third base, but then Amsterdam struck.
Wesley Connor led off with a single, then the bases got loaded when Huijer walked Roelie Henrique and Sidney de Jong.
A single by Percy Isenia then accounted for the first two runs.
Singles by Bas de Jong and Vince Rooi then led to the next two runs.
With one out, the bases got loaded when Rashid Gerard walked.
Huijer then gave up RBI-singles to Tim Vermij and Wesley Connor, followed by a sac-fly by Roelie Henrique that made it 7-0.
After Pioniers turned a double play in the second inning, Amsterdam left seven runners in the next four innings.
In the third, Bas Nooij led off with a double and Tim Vermij was hit by a pitch with one out, which led to a pitching change.
Jean-Paul Gulinck took over and ended the inning with a force play-grounder and flyout.
In the fifth, the lefthander walked lead-off hitter Bas Nooij, then struckout the next two hitters.
The bases then got loaded when Connor singled and Henrique walked, but then Gulinck struckout Sidney de Jong to end the inning.
In the sixth, Gulinck again started with a lead-off walk, but again finished strong with a flyout and two strikeouts.
Amsterdam-starter Jos de Jong gave up nine basehits in the six innings he pitched and struckout six batters.
Pioniers reached base frequently, but left nine runners in the first six at bats.
In the fourth, Pioniers got the bases loaded.
First, Dè Flanegin led off with a single, then (with one out) Kevin Dirksen and Zerzinho Croes (bunt) also singled to load the bases.
But then a flyout followed and De Jong ended by striking out Michael Duursma.
In the seventh inning, Frank van Heijst took over for De Jong and ran into problems.
He walked Michael Duursma and Mark Duursma, then gave up a 2-run double to Nik Gumeson.
With one out, Flanegin singled in another run and when Norbert Lokhorst followed with another single, Al Morales Gomes was brought in as new pitcher.
Kevin Dirksen's grounder then led to a force out, but also a run and so Pioniers had narrowed its deficit to 7-4.
In the eighth inning, Amsterdam made a nice double play, or was it bad baserunning?
First, Morales hit Jefferson Muzo with a pitch.
He then advanced on a sac-bunt by Michael Duursma, but continued running towards third base where he was eliminated in a double play.
A strikeout then ended the at bat.
In the home of the eighth, Amsterdam added two runs, which proofed to be crucial.
With one out, new pitcher Kjeld de Lincel walked Sidney de Jong, then gave up Percy Isenia's seventh homerun of the season that made it 10-4.
In the top of the ninth, Jurrian Koks became the new pitcher for Amsterdam and had a rough outing in which Pioniers hit seven basehits and almost turned the game around.
Nik Gumeson led off with a double, then Mark-Jan Moorman singled, as did Dè Flanegin, which led to a run.
Amsterdam then turned a double play on a grounder by Norbert Lokhorst, but that also gave Pioniers a run.
But then four consecutive basehits followed.
Kevin Dirksen and pinch-hitter Linoy Croes first singled, then a run was scored on a single by Jefferson Muzo.
Next, Michael Duursma reached on an infield-hit, which was followed by an unnecessary throwing error, which made it 10-8.
So now, with two outs, and two runners on, Pioniers had the tying run on second base.
But then the game ended when Mark Duursma grounded out to short stop Vince Rooi.
Rooi was given a 3-game suspension on Thursday-evening for his part in the bench-clearing of last Sunday in the game vs. UVV.
But he was eligible to play tonight, as Amsterdam appealed the suspension.
UVV's Glenn Romney was give a 4-game suspension, but that also was appealed.
Head Coaches Charles Urbanus (Amsterdam) and Royce Holder (UVV), who also were ejected last Sunday, were not suspended.
Holder, however, got a 2-game suspension for his ejection four days earlier, but that also was appealed.
In the meantime, the status of the game between Amsterdam and UVV is still unclear.
The game was halted by the umpiring crew with two outs in the top of the ninth inning and UVV leading 14-7 after the benches emptied after Romney had stolen second base.
A confrontation then followed with Rooi, resulting in some pushing and players pouring onto the field.
But when the players were returning to their dug-outs, the umpires had decided to end the game, as this was the second bench-clearing in the game.
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Standings & Schedule
(May 27)
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