Tom Stuifbergen was the starting pitcher for Kinheim tonight.
And that ended a streak, as righthander David Bergman has been the starting pitcher in the Opening Game for Kinheim in the previous eight seasons.
This season, Bergman, who also is the team's Pitching Coach, has moved to the bullpen and will primarily act as closer or set-up man.
...Dashenko Ricardo...
...four hits, double, 3 runs...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
For Stuifbergen, this was the second Opening Day-game in his career he started, but the first since 2006.
Back then, the righthander was the starting pitcher for Amsterdam Pirates against Neptunus.
Last season, Stuifbergen was recovering from an injury and appeared in only one game for Kinheim, throwing one inning.
From 2007-2013, Stuifbergen pitched professionally in the organization of the Minnesota Twins.
He missed the 2008 season due to an injury.
He reached Triple-A in 2011, pitching one game on that level for the Rochester Red Wings.
Stuifbergen mostly played in Single-A, but concluded his professional career in 2013 with eight games in Double-A.
Kinheim opened the score with two outs in the first inning, but also left the bases loaded.
After two flyouts, Dashenko Ricardo and Dudley Leonora both singled.
For Leonora, this was his first at bat in the Dutch big league.
The bases were loaded when Jeffrey Arends walked and the first run was then scored by Ricardo when DSS-starter Rik Geestman also walked Sven van der Sanden.
The run also was the first scored in this years big league-season.
Kinheim then left the bases loaded when a grounder ended the inning.
After giving up the run in the first inning, DSS-starter Rik Geestman threw three fine innings, but then ran into problems in the fifth inning.
The lefthander hit lead-off hitter Mervin Gario, then gave up a single to Dashenko Ricardo.
A sacrifice fly by Dudley Leonora doubled Kinheim's lead, then Jeffrey Arends walked.
Sven van der Sanden followed with a 2-run double and Niels van Weert added an RBI-triple to make it 5-0.
Hereafter, Timo van Lingen took over for Geestman to make his big league-debut.
He saw Calvin Martinus groundout (bringing in Van Weert), but ended the inning with a strikeout.
For DSS, Mark Smit led off the first at bat with a single, but stranded on second base.
He was the lone player of the home team to get into scoring position off of Tom Stuifbergen in the first four innings.
Stuifbergen, who was supported with a double play in the second inning, then gave up a run in the fifth.
The bases got loaded thanks to Seb Visser (error), Joffrey Heus (walk) and Lex Leijenaar (single), but the lead runner was then forced out at home on a grounder by Mitchel Dautzenberg.
A walk for Mark Smit then resulted in a run, which was the lone one DSS would score tonight.
Next, Kinheim turned another double play to end the inning.
With a 6-1 lead, Kinheim added two runs in the sixth.
With two outs, Dashenko Ricardo doubled and scored on a following single by Dudley Leonora, who later scored himself on a wild pitch.
Ricardo had four hits tonight, scored three runs and reached base five times.
The lead was increased to 10-1 in the seventh inning.
Niels van Weert (error) then scored on an one-out triple by Jasper Keijzer.
With two outs, the latter scored Kinheim's tenth run on a single by Mervin Gario.
Kinheim left three runners in scoring position in the final two at bats, then DSS came close to its second run in the bottom of the ninth.
Arshwin Asjes became Kinheim's fourth pitcher in the game and he walked pinch-hitter Koen Halderman with one out.
And error on a force play-grounder by Joffrey Heus followed, then a grounder moved Halderman to third base, but he was left there, ending the game.
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Kinheim hands DSS big loss in big league-debut
HAARLEM (Neth.) -
Corendon Kinheim opened the new big league-season on Thursday-evening (April 16) with a big 10-1 win at 'neighbour' DSS, which made its debut in the highest division.