 Amsterdam second finalist after thrilling win; Euro Stars wins title, meets ADO for promotion
Nederlands
   AMSTERDAM / VLEUTEN / ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
On Wednesday-evening, August 31, L&D Amsterdam Pirates trailed 3-0 in the eighth inning vs. DOOR Neptunus, but came from behind to win 5-4 in 10 innings and become the second finalist for this years Holland Series.
As a result, Amsterdam dethroned Neptunus as reigning champion in a thrilling game in which Neptunus lost its temper (and eventually the game) at the wrong moment.
At Rotterdam, on the site of Sparta-Feyenoord, Euro Stars trailed 2-0 in the fifth inning, but went on to win 7-3 vs. PSV in an one-game Play-Off to claim the title in the 'Overgangsklasse'.
As a result, Euro Stars now will meet ADO, which ended in last place in the big league Play-Downs, in a Promotion/Relegation Play-Off.
The opener of this best-of-five is scheduled for Thursday-evening to be played at the site of ADO in The Hague.
The Play-Downs in the big league ended with a 5-4 win of UVV vs. Sparta-Feyenoord in 10 innings.
L&D Amsterdam Pirates vs. DOOR Neptunus
...Tonight's starters...
...Craig Anderson, Ben Grover...
(© Photos: www.reni-foto.nl) |
At Amsterdam, L&D Amsterdam Pirates trailed 3-0 in the eighth inning, but then scored twice and tied the score in the ninth to force extra innings in an attractive, tense and spectacular game that ended the Play-Offs.
In the tenth, Neptunus re-took the lead, but then Amsterdam scored twice in the home half to win the game and move on to the Holland Series.
It was in the home of the tenth that Neptunus lost its temper, which eventually led to the loss and its dethroning as reigning champion.
Players of Neptunus reacted furiously to a bad umpiring decision, but at the same moment also lost the game.
While arguing the call, the experienced players led a runner scored the tying run and moments later lost the game through a wild pitch.
After Amsterdam-starter Ben Grover had retired the side in the first inning, the home team appeared off to a good start.
Wesley Connor led off with a single, but moments later was called out at first base after a pick-off by catcher Sape Wagenaar in what was a disputable call by rookie umpire Martijn Bosschaart, who is in his first season in the Dutch big league.
With two outs, Sidney de Jong also singled, but Neptunus-starter Craig Anderson didn't ran into problems.
By the way, most expected lefthander Diegomar Markwell to start this crucial game, but Head Coach Jan Collins instead went with the Australian.
Neptunus got its first scoring opportunity in the second at bat.
Tom Brice led off with a walk and Rien Vernooij walked with one out.
The latter was then forced out at second on a grounder by Benjamin Dille, but Brice moved to third base.
The Australian stranded there, as the third out followed.
Neptunus left another runner on third base in the fourth inning.
Raily Legito led off with a single and stole second base, then advanced on a grounder by Brice, but then Grover struckout Jeffrey Arends and Vernooij ended the at bat with a grounder.
...Amsterdam's Head Coach in discussion with...
...3B Umpire Peter Gulickx after Connor was ruled out...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
Amsterdam then got a big scoring opportunity in the fifth at bat, having the bases loaded with only one out.
Percy Isenia led off with a single, but then Bas Nooij was called out on strikes.
Next, Rashid Gerard also singled and everyone was safe when Isenia beat the throw to third base from short stop Dwayne Kemp on a grounder by Wesley Connor.
With the bases loaded, Isenia was forced out at home on a grounder by Roelie Henrique for the second out.
Hereafter, Sidney de Jong grounded to third baseman Raily Legito who went after the sliding Connor, who appeared to reach third base safely, but then was tagged out after oversliding it, where 3B Umpire Peter Gulickx called the runner out.
Initially, Home Plate Umpire Roy van de Wateringen signaled that Gerard had scored before the third out was made.
But after a discussion of the 3-man umpire crew, the run was reversed, as it was stated that Connor had overslid the base and therefore was a force out, meaning the inning ended and no run was scored.
And so, we already had seen quite some action in the first five innings.
And a lot was about to happen in the next five innings.
In the sixth inning, Neptunus struck with two runs.
Up until then the Rotterdam-squad had hit only one basehit off Grover, who started the sixth by striking out Dwayne Kemp, but then walked Eugène Kingsale.
Grover then also struckout Raily Legito.
The righthander then gave up a double to Tom Brice, which was followed by a 2-run single by Jeffrey Arends that gave Neptunus a 2-0 lead, before a grounder ended the at bat.
...Bas de Jong catches the ball in the 8th inning...
...but Umpire Martijn Bosschaart ruled it a no-catch...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Neptunus added a run in the eighth inning.
Grover got two quick outs, but then gave up a single to Legito and was replaced by Al Morales Gomes.
He saw Tom Brice hit the ball into rightfield, where Bas de Jong clearly caught the ball just above the ground.
However, 1B Umpire Martijn Bosschaart ruled it as not being caught, meaning Legito moved to third base.
After Amsterdam's Head Coach Charles Urbanus has argued the decision, Legito scored when third baseman Rashid Gerard made a throwing error on a grounder by Jeffrey Arends, which would have been the third out.
A flyout then ended the inning, but Neptunus had made it 3-0 and was only six more outs away from returning to the Holland Series.
Amsterdam then started to do some things of its own from the eighth inning on.
With one out, speedster Roelie Henrique reached on a nice bunt-single and scored when Sidney de Jong followed with a deep homerun.
It marked the end for Craig Anderson and Berry van Driel was brought in to relief the Australian lefthander.
Van Driel got two outs, but Amsterdam had moved within one run.
In the ninth inning, Jurrian Koks became the new pitcher for Amsterdam and retired the side.
In the home of the ninth, Van Driel started by striking out Kenny Berkenbosch, but then gave up a single to Percy Isenia, which ended just in front of centerfielder Shaldimar Daantji.
Isenia was replaced by pinch-runner Raoull Kortstam, who then scored all the way from first base when next batter Bas Nooij (who had struckout in his three previous at bats) drove the ball into leftfield for a double.
Van Driel followed by striking out Rashid Gerard and got a flyout from Wesley Connor, but Amsterdam had tied the score and forced extra innings.
In the tenth inning, in which the tie-break rule was used again, Neptunus re-took the lead.
First, tie-break runners Shaldimar Daantji and Dwayne Kemp advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Eugène Kingsale.
Next, Daantji scored on a sacrifice fly bt Raily Legito, which was hit hard to rightfielder Bas de Jong and initially didn't appear to have the right distance to enable a run to score, but that did happen.
Tom Brice was then walked intentionally to set up a force play and the inning then ended when Jeffrey Arends was called out on strikes (which was his third strikeout of the evening).
What then followed was a spectacular and tumultuous home tenth.
First, the bases got loaded when tie-break runners Rashid Gerard and Wesley Connor moved on another bunt-single by Roelie Henrique.
Next, Gerard was forced out at home on a grounder to third by Sidney de Jong, who was then appeared to be doubled up at first base on the throw by catcher Sape Wagenaar.
However, 1B Umpire Martijn Bosschaart ruled De Jong safe at first base and that triggered angry reactions from players and coaches of Neptunus.
But while arguing the call and despite their experience, Neptunus left home plate open and at that moment, Connor broke for home, slid across home plate and tied the score.
This led to a new argument, as it was stated that Connor hadn't touch home plate.
But if that was the case, no one of the umpiring crew had seen that, as they were busy silencing the arguing players at first base.
In the meantime, during the argument and the following throw to home, Henrique and De Jong also moved a base.
And so, the score was tied again.
The bases were loaded by walking Bas de Jong intentionally, but moments later, pitcher Berry van Driel threw the ball into the ground for a wild pitch, enabling Henrique to score the winning run.
While the Amsterdam-bench erupted in celebration, the Neptunus-bench erupted into fierce reactions towards the umpiring crew.
Agreed, the umpiring decision at first base was disputable and remarks could be expected, but the shamefull reactions Neptunus showed after the game were very unlike for the Rotterdam-squad and unworthy for the club.
Neptunus should be very ashamed of itself.
After arguing the call at first base, Neptunus also could have accepted the ruling and continue the game.
When it would have done that, they still would have had a 4-3 lead with the bases loaded and one out.
The game then could have gone the way of the Rotterdam-squad after that as two outs might have followed.
But instead, the team continued arguing and forgot to cover home plate, which led to the tying run and eventually the deciding wild pitch.
When the dust had settled down, the scoreboard showed the result: Amsterdam had won 5-4 and Neptunus was dethroned.
And so, Amsterdam returns to the Holland Series.
Last year, Amsterdam lost the Series 4-2 to Neptunus.
In the final, which will be a best-of-seven this season, Amsterdam meets Vaessen Pioniers with the first games to be played next Saturday and Sunday at Hoofddorp.
It will mark the first time that Pirates and Pioniers will meet each other in the Holland Series, which was played for the first in 1987.
...HP Umpire Roy van de Wateringen explains the situation in the 5th inning...
...to Head Coaches Jan Collins and Charles Urbanus...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...HP Umpire Roy van de Wateringen then informs Official Scorer Dieks Bannink of the ruling...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...Bas de Jong clearly has the ball in his glove after making the catch...
...in the 8th inning, but it was ruled a no-catch...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Amsterdam's Head Coach Charles Urbanus asks Umpire Martijn Bosschaart...
...why he ruled it a no-catch...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Roelie Henrique and Sidney de Jong are greeted in the eighth inning...
...after De Jong hit a 2-run homerun...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Pinch-runner Raoull Kortstam scores the tying run in the ninth inning...
(© Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
...Raoull Kortstam is greeted by his teammates after Amsterdam tied the score in the 9th...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Coach Jan Collins and players argue the double play-call in the 10th inning...
...but they forget to cover home plate, which leads to the tying run...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Roelie Henrique scores the winning run in the 10th inning on a wild pitch...
...by Berry van Driel (3), while catcher Sape Wagenaar goes after the ball in the back...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...Amsterdam celebrates the victory and the return to the Holland Series...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
...While Amsterdam celebrates, Neptunus furiously argues with the umpires...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
UVV vs. Sparta-Feyenoord
At Vleuten, in a game which didn't really needed to be played, UVV won 5-4 in 10 innings vs. Sparta-Feyenoord in the final game for both teams this season.
That it really was a game that was needless was shown by both teams.
UVV started with pitcher Derek Tarapacki as rightfielder, while Sparta-Feyenoord used several new players in this game, but also used pitcher Gregory Gustina as its designated hitter.
UVV opened the score in the first inning on a sac-fly by Danny Rombley, but Sparta-Feyenoord then scored twice in the second at bat.
First, Quintin De Cuba singled, then an error was made on a force play-grounder by Gustina.
A grounder and an error then led to two runs.
Sparta-Feyenoord then added two more runs in the third inning when Gustina delivered a 2-run double!
But hereafter, Sparta-Feyenoord was held to only one basehit in the next seven innings.
UVV came back into the game in the sixth inning when its score twice, thanks to a single by Jeff Delfina and an error.
The home team then tied the score in the ninth inning.
With one out, Laurens Valdez became the new pitcher for Sparta-Feyenoord, but he walked Jeff Delfina and Rutger Veugelers (who by the way was used both as a catcher and pitcher!).
Hereafter, Sparta-Feyenoord made four defensive changes, including bringing short stop Anthony Vrolijk to the mound as the new pitcher!
A sacrifice fly by Austin Weymouth then tied the score and put the game into extra innings.
After Sparta-Feyenoord didn't score in the tenth inning, UVV did to win the game, thanks to a single by Weymouth.
(August 31)
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