(Story Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
   Kingdom Team closes preparations with loss vs. Dominicans
Nederlands
 TAIPEI (Taiwan) -
The team of the Kingdom of the Netherlands concluded its preparations for the upcoming Premier12 with a final exhibition game today (Saturday, November 7).
The squad met the team of the Dominican Republic (number 5 on the world ranking) in Tianmu Stadium in Taipei.
The Dominicans held the Orange squad scoreless for seven innings, scored twice themselves via three hits and an error in the second inning, then added a 3-run homerun and went on to win 5-3.
Four of the five runs are unearned due to two errors.
The Dominicans are held scoreless by solid Dutch pitching in the final five innings, then the offense produces three runs in the last two at bats, but ends up short.
The Netherlands Team began with a 7-0 win against the team of the University of New Taipei City on Wednesday, then lost 3-2 to the USA on Friday.
Last month, the squad won two earlier exhibition games during a training camp on Curaçao to prepare for the upcoming Premier12.
Recap vs. University
Recap vs. USA
The Netherlands team opens the Premier12 on Monday against host Taiwan.
(November 7)
The first inning of the game remained scoreless, but both teams stranded a baserunner.
In the top of the first inning, Anderson Feliz led off with a single off of starter Kevin Heijstek.
He then moved to second base after first baseman Andruw Jones had made a nice catch on a foul fly ball.
But Feliz then stranded.
In the bottom of the first inning, Yurendell de Caster reached on an infield-hit with one out off of Daniel Cabrera, but he also stranded.
Cabrera pitched in the Major League for the Baltimore Orioles (2004-2008), Washington Nationals (2009) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2009).
In those six seasons, he appeared in 162 games and had a 48-65 record.
The Dominicans then open the score in the second inning off Heijstek.
With two outs, three hits and an error accounted for two runs.
The two batters Heijstek retired were Major League-veterans Miguel Olivo and Pedro Feliz.
The 37-year old catcher Olivo played in the Majors for 13 years (2002-2014) for seven different clubs, appearing in 1124 games.
The 40-year old Feliz played 11 years (2000-2010) in the Majors for four clubs, including eight with the San Francisco Giants, playing in a total of 1302 games.
After Olivo was retired, Aneury Tavarez reached on a single, then Feliz was eliminated.
Hereafter, Ronny Rodriguez also singled, as did next batter Wilkin Ramirez.
Tavarez scored on this last basehit, but a throwing error towards third base also enabled Rodriguez to score.
A walk for Anderson Feliz followed, but then two runners were left behind.
In the third inning, Mike Bolsenbroek took over the pitching for Heijstek and retired the side.
The Orange squad stranded another runner in their third after Randolph Oduber had walked with one out.
...Yurendell de Caster...
...2-for-3, walk...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
The Dominicans took more distance in the fourth inning off of Bolsenbroek.
Tavarez reached on an error, then Rodriguez singled with one out.
Moments later, with two outs, they scored when Anderson Feliz homered to lift the lead to 5-0.
Another single followed, hit by Robinzon Diaz, but he was left behind.
In the Orange fourth, Andruw Jones leads off with a walk.
He is forced out on a grounder by Wladimir Balentien, then the next two batters are retired, including a catch on a line drive by Curt Smith.
In the fifth, Mike Bolsenbroek returns to the mound for a third inning.
He gives up a single, but then retires the next three batters.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Orange squad appears to have something in the making, as Kalian Sams and Sharlon Schoop lead off with singles.
But then Randolph Oduber grounds into a double play and the inning ends when Carlton Daal strikes out.
In the sixth, new Orange-hurler Wendell Floranus retires the side.
In the home half, the Netherlands again got a runner into scoring position.
Yurendell de Caster led off with a single, then was forced out on a grounder by Andruw Jones.
In an attempt to complete a double play, a throwing error follows, enabling Jones to advance to second base.
There, Dwayne Kemp takes over as pinch-runner and moves to third base when Wladimir Balentien is eliminated
But he strands on third base, as Curt Smith grounds out to end the inning.
In the seventh, new Orange-pitcher Jim Ploeger gives up two doubles, but also is supported with a nice double play by second baseman Hainley Statia.
Ploeger is greeted with a double by Robinzon Diaz, but he is eliminated in a double play when Statia catches a ball.
Hereafter, Wilson Betemit also doubles.
Betemit is another Major League-veteran on the Dominican roster.
The 34-year old designated hitter played in 11 Major League-seasons (2001; 2004-2013) for seven clubs.
With Betemit on second base, Ploeger walks Mario Mercedes, but he gives up no runs.
Berry van Driel took over the Dutch pitching in the eighth inning, but encounters no problems.
With one out, he gives up a single to Omar Luna, but two outs follow.
The Netherlands Team gets another scoring opportunity in the bottom of the eighth, getting the bases loaded with no outs, and this time, it erases the zero from the scoreboard.
Gilmer Lampe reaches on an error, Gianfranco Wawoe singles and Yurendell de Caster walks.
Lampe and Wawoe then score when Dwayne Kemp follows with a double.
But with runners on second and third base, the next three batters are retired, leaving two runners in scoring position.
Bayron Cornelisse closed the game in the ninth inning for the Netherlands Team.
He gave up a lead-off single to Robinzon Diaz, but then retires the next three batter.
In the final Orange-at bat, Kalian Sams leads off with a double.
With two outs, he scores when a fly into leftfield by Gianfranco Wawoe is missed.
Wawoe himself continues running and tries to score also, but is eliminated at the plate to end the game.
The Netherlands Team leaves seven runners behind, including four in scoring position.
The starting players, their replacements, positions and hitting in this game were:
1 - Carlton Daal (SS, 0-for-3), replaced by Gianfranco Wawoe (SS, 1-for-2);
2 - Yurendell de Caster (3B, 2-for-3);
3 - Andruw Jones (1B, 0-for-2), replaced by Dwaye Kemp (PR, LF, 1-for-1);
4 - Wladimir Balentien (DH), 0-for-3), replaced by Gianison Boekhoudt (PH, DH, 0-for-1);
5 - Curt Smith (LF, 1B, 0-for-4);
6 - Shawn Zarraga (C, 0-for-3), replaced by Dashenko Ricardo (C, 0-for-1);
7 - Kalian Sams (RF, 2-for-4);
8 - Sharlon Schoop (2B, 1-for-3), replaced by Hainley Statia (2B, 0-for-1);
9 - Randolph Oduber (CF, 0-for-1), replaced by Gilmer Lampe (CF, 0-for-2);
Pitchers - Kevin Heijstek, Mike Bolsenbroek, Wendell Floranus, Jim Ploeger, Berry van Driel, Bayron Cornelisse.
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