(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Pioniers turns deficit into win against Neptunus
Nederlands
 ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Vaessen Pioniers trailed 6-1 after five innings and 6-5 after six, but went on to turn the game its way, winning 8-7 against Curaçao Neptunus on Saturday (August 20).
There was a rare feat in this game, as there were two pinch-hitters who took over an at bat with a count of the previous batter.
One left because of an injury, the other because of an ejection.
Neptunus took an early lead, which appeared to be comfortable, scoring two runs in the first and three in the second at bat.
However, Neptunus also lost powerhitter Gianison Boekhoudt in the first inning.
Dwayne Kemp led off the first inning with a walk and Randolph Oduber singled.
With one out, the two advanced on a passed ball during Boekhoudt's at bat.
With a 2-2 count (he had fouled off two pitches and had swung at one), the lefthanded hitting Boekhoudt was hit hard on his righthand by an inside pitch from lefthander pitcher Chris Pfau.
Boekhoudt moved backwards to avoid being hit, but then the ball struck his hand instead of the bat.
As hands are no part of the bat (as is thought by many), he could have been awarded first base.
However, it was ruled a foul ball.
Boekhoudt was attended and left the game.
Steven Wharwood took over the at bat and delivered a 2-run single that gave Neptunus an early lead.
Boekhoudt's hand was swollen, and therefore the exact injury (fracture?) was not clear yet afterwards.
Trailing 6-1, Pioniers got back in the game in the top of the sixth when Shurman Marlin hit a grand slam homerun.
After Neptunus had made it 7-5 in its favor, Pioniers took the lead by scoring three runs in the seventh after Kevin Kelly had taken over the pitching.
Pioniers scored on a basesloaded walk for Marlin, then added two on a double by Brennan Nijhof.
On August 6, against L&D Amsterdam Pirates, Kelly had just entered the game as reliever in the eighth inning, but got injured while warming up on the mound.
He had to be replaced and afterwards, it was announced that he had sustained a hamstring-injury.
In a following newspaper-article, it was reported that he might be out for the remainder of the season.
But today, two weeks later, he was back on the mound.
In the top of the eighth inning, Pioniers got its lead-off hitter on base.
Hereafter, Stephen Henson was ejected during his at bat by Home Plate Umpire Peter de Haan for arguing the strikezone.
Rookie Duco Nuijten was inserted as pinch-hitter with an 0-2 count and grounded into a double play.
With that, Nuijten made his debut in the main squad of Pioniers.
Did the opening game of this series on Thursday last only one hour and 54 minutes, today, it took three hours and 55 minutes to play nine innings.
(complete recap will be added later)
(August 20)
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