 Pioniers ends Neptunus' streak with come-from-behind win
Nederlands
 ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Vaessen Pioniers trailed 2-0 when the eighth inning started, then came from behind to win 3-2 in the ninth inning vs. DOOR Neptunus, ending the Rotterdam-squad's 11-game winning streak.
Neptunus initially was off to a good start.
In the top half of the first inning, Pioniers reached base twice with one out, but then a double play ended the at bat.
Neptunus reacted with two runs off of Swen Huijer, who made his first start of the season for Pioniers.
The tall righthander gave up a lead-off single to Adrian Anthony, which was followed by a groundout and flyout.
But then, the former pro gave up three basehits that gave Neptunus a 2-0 lead.
First, Jeffrey Arends singled to bring in Anthony.
Next, Dwayne Kemp singled to bring Arends to second base, who then scored when Rien Vernooij also singled.
But moments after Arends scored, Kemp was thrown out at third base, trying to advance.
And so, the early rally and the inning ended.
Eight innings later, the two runs were still the only one scored by Neptunus, as Pioniers supported its pitchers with four double plays and held the home team scoreless.
Pioniers was productive in the first innings off of Neptunus-starter Tim Roodenburg, but was unable to score.
The Hoofddorp-team left five runners in the second through fourth inning with all of them reaching on a basehit.
After giving up an one-out single in the fourth, Roodenburg retired the next eleven batters in a row.
He then gave up a lead-off single in the eighth inning to Zerzinho Croes, which would be the beginning of the turn-around in the game.
Swen Huijer recovered after giving up the two runs in the first inning.
In the second at bat, Benjamin Dille led off with a double, but would strand on third base, as three outs followed.
In the third, Huijer gave up two hits, but Pioniers then also turned its first double play.
Huijer walked a batter in the fourth, then was relieved in the next inning by Dennis Buring.
The latter gave up lead-off singles in both the fifth and sixth inning, but in both at bats, Pioniers turned two more double plays.
Lefthander Jean-Paul Gulinck became Pioniers' new pitcher in the seventh and retired the side.
In the top of the eighth inning, Zerzinho Croes led off for Pioniers with a single, which led to a pitching change.
Jorian van Acker took over for Tim Roodenburg, who then walked Michael Duursma and saw the bases being loaded when no play was made on a sac-bunt by Gyenuar Lopez.
Van Acker then struckout Mark Duursma and thereafter, closer Dushan Ruzic was brought in to face Dè Flanegin.
The veteran player connected well on a delivery of Ruzic, whom he greeted with a 2-run single to tie the score.
Ruzic then struckout the next two batters, but it was a new ballgame with a 2-2 score.
And Ruzic was credited with his second Blown Save in four days, as he also got one last Saturday.
But then, he ended the game as winning pitcher, today, he was the loser.
In the home of the eighth, Gulinck walked lead-off batter Raily Legito, but then Pioniers turned its fourth double play and a grounder ended the inning.
In the top of the ninth inning, Michael Pluijmers led off with a triple.
Ruzic then struckout Jefferson Muzo, but Zerzinho Croes followed with a sacrifice fly and so, Pluijmers scored to give Pioniers a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Bayron Cornelissen took over the pitching for Pioniers.
The closer began with a strikeout, then gave up a single to Benjamin Dille, but a pop-fly and strikeout ended the inning and the game.
And Cornelissen earned his sixth save of the season.
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(June 19)
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