DSS struck early, scoring three runs with two outs in the first inning off of starter Kaj Timmermans.
With one out, Sven Jongejans and Tino van Erk singled.
With two outs, the Haarlem-squad got the bases loaded when Ryan Miner walked.
DSS then opened the score when Levine Gabriëls delivered a 2-run single.
Moments later, Miner scored the third run when Joffrey Heus reached on a throwing error.
HCAW was retired in order in the first inning off of Tim Halderman, who then ran into problems in the next at bat, when the Bussum-opponent rallied for four runs to take the lead.
Rossini Frolijk led off with a single, then Kevin Nieveld reached on a throwing error, which resulted in runners on second and third base.
They then scored when Jarreau Martina followed with a 2-run triple.
After a flyout accounted for the first out, Raoell Kortstam walked.
Next, a pick-off attempt ended in a throwing error, a runner on second base and the tying run.
Kortstam then moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Marciano Philippi, then scored the go-ahead run on a single down the leftfield-line by Gianni Frolijk.
Jelle Blaauw followed with another single, but HCAW then stranded two runners.
HCAW left a runner in the third and fourth inning, but DSS got close to scoring in the bottom of the third.
Trailing 4-3 with one out, Seb Visser walked.
Ryan Miner then doubled down the rightfield-line.
While the ball was being thrown back to the infield, it appeared that Visser might have a chance to score.
But Head Coach Lennart Stut (who coaches at third base himself) kept Visser at third base.
The two runners stranded when a strikeout and groundout followed.
...Rain starts to fall in the 7th inning...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
DSS then turned the game its way again thanks to a 5-run rally in the fourth inning.
Lex Leijenaar led off with a walk.
Hereafter, Mitchel Dautzenberg bunted just in front of catcher Max Clarijs, who attempted to field the ball.
However, the ball jumped back towards the line and so, Dautzenberg reached on a bunt-single.
As there was no one covering third base, Leijenaar sprinted and took an extra base, which was an important moment for the home team.
A strikeout followed, but then Leijenaar scored the tying run on a grounder by Sven Jongejans.
Would he not have taken the extra base, DSS would have had runners on second and third base with two outs.
But now, it had tied the score and still had a runner on second base with two outs.
Tino van Erk followed with a single, then a wild pitch gave DSS a 5-4 lead.
DSS got the bases loaded when Seb Visser and Ryan Miner both walked.
After the walk for Visser, HCAW's Head Coach Ralph Milliard walked onto the field and it appeared that he was making a trip to the mound.
As he already had made a trip during this inning after the lead-off walk to Leijenaar, meaning a second trip would mean he had to make a pitching change.
However, Milliard didn't went to the mound, he just checked up with his catcher, who was hit by a foul ball during Visser's at bat.
Moments later, with the bases loaded, Levine Gabriëls singled to bring in another run.
And this time, Milliard did come out to make a pitching change.
Tony Kreisel took over for Timmermans, but he hit Joffrey Heus with a pitch to bring in the next run.
In his second at bat in the inning, Lex Leijenaar then singled.
Miner scored the fifth run in the at bat, but Gabriëls, who also tried to score, was eliminated at the plate to end the inning.
The 8-4 lead not only appeared to be comfortable, it also appeared to be enough.
But the game was not even halfway!
The game had a slow start and it took almost one hour to play the first two innings.
HCAW also left a runner in the fifth innning off of Halderman.
The righthander ended the inning with a called strikeout for Jarreau Martina, who argued the call with Home Plate Umpire René Ras and was ejected.
Halderman was relieved by Jorn van Ingen in the sixth.
He saw HCAW strand a runner on second base in the sixth inning.
With two outs in the seventh, he gave up a single to Rossini Frolijk, then a double to Kevin Nieveld, but they also were left behind.
After re-taking the lead in the fourth inning, DSS left two runners behind in the fifth inning, then another one in the sixth.
In the seventh, with two outs, Sven Jongejans singled.
Lefthander Gijs van Els then became HCAW's new pitcher and ended the inning.
...The remainder of the game was played in the rain...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
While it had started to rain in the seventh inning, Mark van Deursen was announced as new pitcher for DSS to start the eighth with an 8-4 lead.
Just as he took the mound to throw his warm-up pitches, it started to rain heavier and the game was interrupted.
Nine minutes later, the rain got company from some heavy lightning.
The umpiring crew cleared the field and the dug-outs, while spectators also were summoned to take shelter.
The scorebox also was cleared and everyone waited in the clubhouse for things to come.
After awhile, the rain became less heavier, but the lightning stayed and so, the delay was kept in place.
After a 51-minute interruption, the umpires resumed the game again.
DSS needed only six more outs to finish the game.
However, 39 more minutes needed to be played, as HCAW narrowed the deficit to 8-7 and the rain started to fall again.
Mark van Deursen, who was ready to start the eighth inning, had to sit out the long delay and then re-start his preparations.
That didn't workout well, as the righthander walked Max Clarijs, Raoell Kortstam and Marciano Philippi.
And so, a new pitching change followed and Max Ploegstra took over.
Clarijs was then forced out at home on a grounder by Gianni Frolijk.
A run was then scored on a wild pitch, but Ploegstra struckout next batter Jelle Blaauw.
With that, it appeared that DSS appeared to escape almost unharmed, but then Roy Seltenrijch drilled a triple into right-centerfield to bring in two runs and narrow the deficit to only 8-7.
Closer Kevin Geestman became the third pitcher in this inning for DSS and he got the bases loaded by walking Rossini Frolijk and Kevin Nieveld.
And so, the game appeared to slip out of the hands of DSS.
But with the bases loaded, Geestman ended the inning by striking out Peter van Doesburg, who was the replacement for the ejected Jarreau Martina.
For DSS, pinch-hitter Mitchell Koot led off with a walk in the bottom of the eighth.
Steven van Groningen then became HCAW's new pitcher and he struckout Ryan Miner, which ended in a double play, as Koot was caught stealing.
A grounder ended the at bat.
In the top of the ninth inning, Geestman got two quick outs, then walked Marciano Philippi.
But a grounder ended the inning and the game, which ended four hours and nine minutes after it had started.
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DSS nips HCAW after lengthy rain-delay
HAARLEM (Neth.) -
The Play-Offs began with a lot of rain and thunder on Thursday-evening (August 13), resulting in both games to be halted with a tie score.
Both games will resume at 1 PM before the start of the regular scheduled game on Saturday.
The two teams that finished the regular season in first and second place failed to hold onto a minimal lead, as they enabled their opponents to come alongside side.