(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
 UVV wins in tenth inning against Pioniers
Nederlands
 HOOFDDORP (Neth.) -
Pickles UVV trailed 7-5 with one out in the top of the ninth inning, came alongside and went on to win 14-7 in ten innings against Vaessen Pioniers on Sunday (August 7).
In today's game, the last of the regular season, Pioniers' Head Coach Dè Flanegin used 22 different players, including seven of his regular pitchers and a debuting pitcher.
Five of them saw action in other positions, four in the outfield (Sedley Karel, Chris Pfau, Maickel Rietel, Lars Huijer), one at first base (Jonatan Isenia).
Three of these pitchers were inserted as pinch-hitters, being Maickel Rietel, Jonatan Isenia and Lars Huijer.
In his pinch-hit at bat, Huijer led off the sixth inning with a homerun, which was the first of three consecutive homeruns, as (pinch-hittter) Max Draijer and Mark Smit also homered hereafter.
For Huijer, he did not hit his homerun in his first-ever big league at bat, it was however his first big league basehit.
On May 21, he also was used as a pinch-hitter against DSS and then walked.
,,I wanted to give them an at bat in this last game'', Flanegin looked back to using his pitchers in other positions.
,,I didn't want to show up anyone, I kept my regular players in the infield and used the pitchers as outfielders, where they couldn't injure themselves''.
But, the decision not to use regular players may have backfired, as Pioniers failed to hold onto a 7-4 lead, giving up three runs in the top of the ninth.
Closer Sedley Karel then took over the pitching.
Karel, who led the league with eleven saves, this gave was credited with a Blown Save.
A single by Rick Kuipers led to a run, then rookie Steven van Reem hit a 2-run homerun (his first in the big league).
That tied the score at 7-7 and eventually led to an extra inning.
In its ninth inning, Pioniers got three pitchers in the batter's box and stranded two runners.
UVV struck in the tenth inning with a 7-run rally.
After scoring three runs off of Maickel Rietel, who had taken over for Karel in the previous at bat, centerfielder (normally infielder) Zerzinho Croes took over and gave up four more runs.
The UVV-defense then turned a double play in the bottom of the tenth and the team went on to win its second game in two days.
Former professional Christopher Garia, who joined Pioniers after completion of the Baseball Week Haarlem, played only one inning.
He started in centerfield, then led off the first Pioniers at bat with a walk.
A flyout followed, which led to a double play, as Garia also was eliminated.
When Pioniers took the field, Garia was replaced by Mark Smit.
Head Coach Dè Flanegin stated that he had replaced Garia out of precaution due to a minor injury to his belly.
Flanegin: ,,I need him much more in the upcoming series of the Play-Offs, so I replaced him out of precaution.
I already had planned to insert a pinch-runner after he had reached base.''
(complete recap will be added later)
(August 7)
Final Standings 2nd half
Final Overall Standings
Schedule & Starting Pitchers
Team Rosters
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Morris Wiesemann (Pioniers) makes his debut in the Dutch big league.