 Sparta-Feyenoord opens Relegation Series with win
Nederlands
 ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Sparta-Feyenoord trailed 5-2 in the seventh inning, but then scored four runs to open the best-of-five Promotion/Relegation Play-Off against The Hawks with a 6-5 victory.
Sparta-Feyenoord finished in last place of the Play-Downs and therefore has to play this series against the champion of the 'Overgangsklasse' (second highest league).
The winner of this series will earn the right to play in next years big league.
The Hawks opened the score in the first at bat when two former Sparta-Feyenoord-players connected off of starter Elton Koeiman.
Shurendell Borgschot led off with a single, moved on a sac-bunt and then scored on a double by Erwin Bonis to give the team an early 1-0 lead.
Sparta-Feyenoord was able to come alongside quickly, scoring a run in the second inning.
Brian Raap then singled with one out and scored on a wild pitch by Enoch Deaton with two outs.
The Hawks then appeared to take command of the game by scoring twice in both the fourth and sixth inning, while Sparta-Feyenoord managed to score only once in the three middle innings.
In the fourth inning, Tony Enos doubled with one out, then scored on a 2-out single by Berry van Donselaar, another former player of Sparta-Feyenoord.
Moments later, a triple by Thomas Soederhuijsen led to the next run to make it 3-1.
Sparta-Feyenoord then left two runners in the home of the fourth, but got one run back in the next inning.
Jochem Pronk then walked with one out and scored on a basesloaded single by Jarred Duin, but Sparta-Feyenoord left the bases loaded when a force out at home and a groundout ended the inning.
That appeared to be costly, as The Hawks reacted by scoring two more runs with two outs in the sixth inning.
Bob de Bruijn led off with a single and moved to third base on two following grounders, then scored on a double by Friso Arkenbout, who then scored the next run on a single by Borgschot to make it 5-2.
But then Sparta-Feyenoord struck with four runs in the seventh inning to take a 6-5 lead.
Jochem Pronk and Kevin van Nederpelt led off with singles, which led to a pitching change.
Hugo van der Kooij took over for Deaton, but wasn't succesful and was responsible himself for all four runs that Sparta-Feyenoord scored.
First, he was greeted by a single by Anthony Vrolijk, which loaded the bases.
A run was then scored when all runners were awarded the next base when Van der Kooij committed a balk.
With one out, Emerson Paula grounded the ball back to Van der Kooij, who then threw the ball passed first base, leading to two runs and a 5-5 score.
Moments later, Paula scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
In the remainder of the game, The Hawks did get some more baserunners, but was unable to turn the game around again in its favor.
Game 2 will be played next Saturday in Dordrecht.
(August 23)
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