 Neptunus, UVV complete opening sweeps
Nederlands
    DORDRECHT / VLEUTEN / AMSTERDAM / HOOFDDORP (Neth.) -
On Sunday, DOOR Neptunus and UVV completed a 3-game sweep to become the first leaders after the first series of games in the new season.
Neptunus outscored Mampaey The Hawks 11-2, while UVV shutout Mr. Cocker HCAW 11-0.
L&D Amsterdam Pirates recovered from Saturday's suprise loss and opened its home season with an 8-1 win against ADO Lakers.
Dutch champion Corendon Kinheim won its second game against Vaessen Pioniers with a 4-1 score.
The two teams will meet each other again on Tuesday-evening to make up their cancelled first game.
Mampaey The Hawks vs. DOOR Neptunus
At Dordrecht, Mampaey The Hawks played its first big league-game on home soil.
The team initially took an 1-0 lead in the first inning against DOOR Neptunus, but a suprise was not in the making, as the opponent rallied for four runs in the third inning and went on to win 11-2.
Before the start of the game, The Hawks officially opened its renovated baseball- and softball-site in Dordrecht and celebrated its debut in the highest league.
Last season, The Hawks finished in first place in the second highest league, the 'Overgangsklasse', then promoted to the big league after winning the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off against Sparta-Feyenoord.
Rynette Reynvaan, the Alderman for Sports threw the ceremonial first pitch.
She was accompanied by Robbert Boset, the director of the club's main sponsor Mampaey, who also threw a first pitch.
In the first inning, off of Tim Roodenburg, The Hawks opened the score.
Urving Kemp led off with a single, but was forced out on a grounder by Steven Wharwood.
An error trying to complete a double play brought the latter to second base.
Wharwood moved to third on a single by Erwin Bonis, then scored on a grounder by Frans van den Heuvel.
Neptunus answered with four runs in the third inning off of Elton Koeiman.
Adrian Anthony and Shaldimar Daantji led off with singles, then the first scored an one-out single by Gianison Boekhoudt.
Raily Legito followed with another single, then a sac-fly by Dwayne Kemp gave Neptunus a 2-1 lead.
Singles by Rafaël Jozefa and Rudy Van Heydoorn then lifted the lead to 4-1.
Neptunus added a run in the sixth on a single by Shaldimar Daantji, then The Hawks got one run back in the next at bat.
With one out, pinch-hitter Berry van Donselaar faced new pitcher Jorian van Acker and belted a double, then scored on a single by Friso Arkenbout.
But this was the last run The Hawks scored today.
In the eighth inning, Neptunus rallied for six (unearned) runs with two outs to increase the lead to 11-2, but failed to add one more run to end the game through the 10-run difference mercy rule.
In the eighth, the bases got loaded with two outs when Adrian Anthony and Gyenuar Lopez walked and Shaldimar Daantji singled in between these two.
An error on a grounder by Boekhoudt and a wild pitch then accounted for two runs, followed by a 3-run triple by Dwayne Kemp.
The latter then scored the sixth run in the inning on a single by Jozefa.
| Mampaey The Hawks - DOOR Neptunus 2-11 |
| R | H | E |
| DOOR Neptunus | 004 | 001 | 060 | - | 11 | 15 | 1 |
| Mampaey The Hawks | 100 | 000 | 100 | - | 2 | 9 | 1 |
| pitchers Neptunus | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Tim Roodenburg, W (1-0) | 6.1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | - |
| Jorian van Acker | 1.1 | - | - | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Berry van Driel | 1.1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - |
| pitchers The Hawks | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Elton Koeiman, L (0-1) | 6 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 5 | 5 |
| Henk van Heijningen | 1.2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 6 | - |
| Kevin Noordzij | 1.1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - |
Umpires: HP-Roy van de Wateringen, 1B-Rutger Druijve, 3B-Mario Blaauw.
Official Scorer-Dennis Duin.
Play-by-Play-Fred Haak.
Time-2:45 hr. |
|
UVV vs. Mr. Cocker HCAW
At Vleuten, in its first home game of the season, UVV completed a 3-game sweep by winning 11-0 vs. Mr. Cocker HCAW.
Before the start of the game, UVV's longtime Equipment Manager Frans van Elst threw the ceremonial first pitch to open the new season.
HCAW collected only four basehits off of three pitchers, including two off of starter Jurjen van Zijl.
Initially, he was the starting pitcher in last Thursday's opener in Bussum, but that game was halted after two innings due to problems with the light-installation.
The game resumed the next evening.
And so, Van Zijl started his second game in four days.
HCAW reached third base only two times in this 7-inning game.
UVV opened the score with three runs in the first inning off of starter Kaj Timmermans.
He initially began with a strikeout, but then gave up a single to Dennis Ribbens, who stole second base and advanced on a grounder.
With two outs, Dennis De Quint walked, then both scored on a double by Ricky Daal, who later scored himself on a single by Daan Cornelissen.
A 7-run rally followed in the second inning.
Five basehits contributed, but the HCAW-defense also committed four errors.
In this at bat, Ricky Daal hit another 2-run double, while Daan Cornelissen added an RBI-double.
In the third inning, the eleventh run was scored on a wild pitch.
But in the next three innings, UVV was held both hitless and scoreless by relievers Jasper de Heus and Leon Elshof.
...Frans van Elst throws the 1st pitch... | 
...HCAW's starter Kaj Timmermans delivers a pitch... |
| (© Both Photos: Alfred Cop Fotografie) |
| UVV - Mr. Cocker HCAW 11-0 |
| R | H | E |
| Mr. Cocker HCAW | 000 | 000 | 0 | - | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| UVV | 371 | 000 | X | - | 11 | 10 | 2 |
| pitchers HCAW | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Kaj Timmermans, L (0-1) | 1.1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 7 |
| Marco Schel | 0.2 | - | - | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Gijs van Els | 1 | 3 | - | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Jasper de Heus | 2.1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| Leon Elshof | 0.2 | - | - | - | - | - |
| pitchers UVV | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Jurjen van Zijl, W (1-0) | 5 | 4 | - | 2 | - | - |
| Jerremyh Angela | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - |
| Oscar Meuris | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - |
Umpires: HP-Fred Groenewegen, 1B-Jos van Eijsden, 3B-Fred van Groningen Schinkel.
Official Scorer-Maaike Houtkamp.
Play-by-Play-Brigitta Zaal.
Time-2:07 hr. |
|
L&D Amsterdam Pirates vs. ADO Lakers
At Amsterdam, L&D Amsterdam Pirates won 8-1 vs. ADO Lakers to recover from the 3-1 loss a day earlier in The Hague.
Charles Urbanus, the former Head Coach of the Amsterdam-team, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to open the new season.
Urbanus, who was a talented pitcher in the first years of his career, showed he still has his pitching skills, as he threw a strike through the middle in the glove of catcher Bas Nooij.
Before the opening ceremony there was an impressive moment of silence to remember the wife of chairman and sponsor John Witte, who passed away recently.
...Charles Urbanus throws the first pitch; Standing besides him is chairman John Witte...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Pirates collected 16 basehits, including four by Bas Nooij and three by Bas de Jong.
Amsterdam-starter Jos de Jong retired the first 13 batters he faced, but the Perfect Game ended with one out in the fifth inning when Dayron Puriel lined a single down the leftfield-line.
It was the lone hit De Jong gave up.
Kyle Ward, Daan Hendrix and Jurrian Koks completed the game.
Pirates opened the score with three runs in the second inning off of starter Laurens Oele.
Bas de Jong led off with a double and Kenny Berkenbosch singled, then first of three wild pitches this inning by Oele led to the first run.
Moments later, a single by Bas Nooij made it 2-0 and Rashid Gerard followed with a double.
Nooij was then thrown out the plate on a grounder to second base by Roelie Henrique.
With two outs, Gerard scored the next run on another wild pitch.
Two runs were added in the third inning.
Wesley Connor led off with a single and scored on an one-out single by Kenny Berkenbosch.
Bas Nooij followed with a double and when an error in centerfield was made, Berkenbosch was able to score the next run and make it 5-0.
Despite scoring five runs in the first three innings, Pirates was unable to increase the lead to a 10-run difference, as it was held scoreless in the next three at bats.
Three runs were then added in the seventh inning.
Bas de Jong led off with a homerun, then Kenny Berkenbosch walked and Bas Nooij and Rashid Gerard singled to load the bases.
A single by pinch-hitter Raoell Kortstam then accounted for the next run and the lead was lifted to 8-0 on a double play-grounder by Michael Duursma.
Gerard advanced to third base on the double play, but injured his leg and was replaced by a pinch-runner.
ADO Lakers scored its lone run in the eighth inning off of rookie Daan Hendrix.
Dayron Puriel led off with a double and his pinch-runner Martijn Riphagen scored on a grounder by Edison Bito.
...Opening Day in Amsterdam...
| 
...Bas de Jong greets Head Coach Sidney de Jong and...
...Michael Duursma during introductions... |
...Winning pitcher Jos de Jong... | 
...Bas de Jong is greeted after his homerun... |
| (© All Photos: Henk Seppen) |
| L&D Amsterdam Pirates - ADO Lakers 8-1 |
| R | H | E |
| ADO Lakers | 000 | 000 | 010 | - | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| L&D Amsterdam Pirates | 032 | 000 | 30X | - | 8 | 16 | 0 |
| pitchers ADO Lakers | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Laurens Oele, L (0-1) | 2.1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| Ricky Voorn | 4.2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 3 |
| Rick van der Post | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| pitchers Amsterdam Pirates | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Jos de Jong, W (1-0) | 6 | 8 | - | 1 | - | - |
| Kyle Ward | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| Daan Hendrix | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Jurrian Koks | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| Homerun: Pirates: Bas de Jong (1)(solo,7th,off Voorn). |
Umpires: HP-Efrem Silvania, 1B-Olav Steijger, 3B-Henny Jansen.
Official Scorer-Marco Stoovelaar.
Play-by-Play-Linda Steijger.
Time-2:34 hr. |
|
Vaessen Pioniers vs. Corendon Kinheim
At Hoofddorp, Corendon Kinheim won 4-1 vs. Vaessen Pioniers to win its second game of the season.
Before the start of its first home game, Pioniers honored its longtime Team Manager Co Pikee, who passed away in January.
This season, the team plays with his initials on their cap.
His son Roy and daughter Linda threw out the ceremonial first pitches.
Both teams scored a run in the third inning.
For Kinheim, Remco Draijer led off with a single off of American starter Josh Rickards, who made his big league-debut.
Draijer advanced on a sac-bunt by René Cremer and a grounder by Dirk van 't Klooster, then scored on a single by Ramiro Balentina.
In the home of the third, Michael Pluijmers was walked by Steven van Groningen, but he was eliminated when Zerzinho Croes lined into a double play.
Mark Duursma then also walked and went on to score the tying run on a single by Danny Rombley.
In the fifth inning, Kinheim took a decisive 4-1 lead by scoring three runs.
With one out, Remco Draijer walked and René Cremer singled, but then was forced on a grounder by Dirk van 't Klooster.
A following triple by Ramiro Balentina then scored the two runners and made it 3-1.
A wild pitch enabled Balentina to score the next run.
| Vaessen Pioniers - Corendon Kinheim 1-4 |
| R | H | E |
| Corendon Kinheim | 001 | 030 | 000 | - | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| Vaessen Pioniers | 001 | 000 | 000 | - | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| pitchers Kinheim | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Steven van Groningen, W (1-0) | 7 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Jean-Paul Gulinck, H (1) | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | - |
| Arshwin Asjes, SV (1) | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| pitchers Pioniers | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Josh Rickards, L (0-1) | 6 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| Shane Gnade | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| Swen Huijer | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Bayron Cornelissen | 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
Umpires: HP-Henri van Heijningen, 1B-Coen van Lierop.
Official Scorer-Dieks Bannink.
Play-by-Play-Eddy van Loon.
Umpire Observer-Arnold Verbrugge.
Time-2:23 hr. |
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(April 14)
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