(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
 The Hawks opens exhibition season with win
Nederlands
 ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Baseball is back!
Today, Saturday, March 7, the first exhibition game of the season was played by a big league-team, as Mampaey The Hawks opened against Tridents, the Rookie League-team of Curaçao Neptunus.
At the Neptunus Familie Stadium in Rotterdam, The Hawks won 8-2 in an 8-inning game.
The teams will meet again on Sunday, also in Rotterdam.
Last season, The Hawks ended up in last place in the big league and therefore had to play a best-of-five Play-Off against DSS, the champion of the second highest league ('Overgangsklasse').
The Hawks ended up empty-handed, losing the series 3-2 and therefore relegated, while DSS promoted to the big league.
However, things changed last month when ADO Lakers announced its withdrawal from the highest league.
The Hawks was approached whether it was interested to take over the vacant spot en decided to do so.
In the weeks following the 'promotion' back to the big league, things changed in the team of The Hawks, as it re-acquired the five players who had left after last season to play for ADO Lakers.
These five are pitchers José Moreno, Evan Simons, Quinn Tramm and Kevin van Veen and outfielder Jules Peters.
And so, the 'new' team of The Hawks today faced Tridents and showed a positive attitude, as it really looked like a team.
...Eugene Henson...
...Head Coach...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Another change within the team came a week ago.
Following the witdrawal of ADO Lakers from the big league, Eugene Henson, who was to be the Head Coach again of ADO Lakers this season, had come to The Hawks to be the Assistant Coach of Rik Ruts.
The Belgian was appointed Head Coach of The Hawks after completion of last season.
However, Ruts got a promotion within his regular job and was unable to combine this with coaching the team of The Hawks, as he also needed to travel abroad.
And so, Henson was named the new Head Coach of The Hawks.
He will be assisted by Gregory Grampon, who last season was the Head Coach of Gouda-based club Braves and was to be the Assistant Coach of Henson at ADO Lakers this year.
After the withdrawal of the team, Grampon also joined The Hawks, where he initially was to be the Assistant Coach this season of the Rookie League-team of the club.
But now that Henson promoted to Head Coach, Grampon joined him at the big league-team to be his assistant.
While it was somewhat sunny today, it was chilly, but fair enough weather to play.
However, both teams were unable to use the dug-outs in the Rotterdam-stadium.
Due to construction work, they couldn't be used and were filled with water.
Instead, the players sat on benches behind the paddings covering the infield-fences.
The Hawks opened the score with two runs in the first at bat.
With two outs, Amir Dou doubled and scored when Steven Wharwood followed with a single.
The latter then scored the next run on a single by Tim Roodenburg, another player who initially transferred to ADO Lakers after last season, coming from DSS.
...Bobby Carrington pitching...
...for Neptunus in 2012...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Tridents got a run back in the home half of the first inning off of starter Bobby Carrington, who last pitched in the Dutch big league in 2012 when he played for DOOR Neptunus.
He did not play last season.
In the first, the lone inning he pitched, Carrington issued four walks, which led to the run, and gave up no hits.
The Hawks scored its third run in the third inning when Dou singled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Wharwood.
Two runs were added in the fourth.
Roodenburg led off with a walk, then Julian Goins (who also joined The Hawks coming from ADO Lakers) singled.
Next, Gino Hersilia singled in Roodenburg.
Moments later Goins scored when Wijnand Ruben grounded into a double play.
In the fifth, The Hawks lifted the lead to 6-1.
Amir Dou reached base on an outfield-error, then scored on a 2-out single by Julian Goins.
The Hawks again had a 2-run inning in the seventh.
Amir Dou led off with a single, then his pinch-runner Kevin van Veen advanced when Steven Wharwood walked.
Berend Ruben followed with a single, enabling both runners to score.
Tridents scored only one more run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Following Bobby Carrington in the mound for The Hawks were Kevin van Veen, Jeldwin Orman, José Moreno and Michel Offerman.
(March 7)
Complete Schedule Exhibition Season
| Tridents - Mampaey The Hawks 2-8 (8 inn.) |
| R | H | E |
| Mampaey The Hawks | 201 | 210 | 20 | - | 8 | 11 | 3 |
| Tridents (Rookie League) | 100 | 000 | 10 | - | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| pitchers The Hawks | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Bobby Carrington, W (1-0) | 1 | 1 | 4 | - | 1 | 1 |
| Kevin van Veen, H (1) | 2 | 2 | - | 1 | - | - |
| Jeldwin Orman | 2 | 1 | - | 3 | - | - |
| José Moreno | 2 | - | - | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Michel Offerman | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - |
| pitchers Tridents | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| ................ | 8 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 8 | 6 |
Umpires: HP-Henri van Heijningen, 1B-...........
Scorer-Jerry de Cloe (The Hawks).
Time-3:00 hr. |
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