Curaçao Neptunus vs. Kinheim
In the first five innings, it was Neptunus that held a comfortable 4-0 lead, while starting pitcher Diegomar Markwell was pitching a Perfect Game.
The lefthander retired the first 14 batters in a row, while his teammates provided him with four runs in the fourth inning.
In the bottom of the first inning, both Dwayne Kemp and Benjamin Dille walked for Neptunus, but both were caught stealing.
The last came in a strikeout-caught-stealing-double-play.
Neptunus then scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning off of starting pitcher Glenn Wassink.
He was initially announced as starting pitcher for Game 2 of the series coming Saturday.
Righthanded Venezuelan Luis Figuera Roman was named as starter tonight, but he wasn't eligible to play yet, as was Aruban outfielder Julio Hernandez.
When the paperwork is approved, Figuera now might be the starter on Saturday, but that has yet to be confirmed.
In the fourth inning, Wassink hit lead-off hitter Benjamin Dille with a pitch, then gave up a single to Raily Legito and walked Gianison Boekhoudt to load the bases.
A sacrifice fly by Christian Diaz then accounted for the first run.
A single by Dashenko Ricardo and a following error made it a 3-0 score.
Ricardo ended up on third base, then scored the fourth run on a single by Rien Vernooij.
In the top of the fifth inning, Markwell's Perfect Game ended when Oliver van der Wijst Severino singled with two outs.
However, he tried to stretch it into a double and was thrown out on second base.
In the sixth inning, Markwell gave up four runs that tied the score.
Dexter de Weert led off with an infield-hit, which was diverted by Markwell.
Moments later, he was awarded second base on a balk.
Another infield-hit, rolling towards third base, by Sander Paap followed.
Next, a throwing error on a failed pick-off enabled De Weert to move to third base.
With one out, he scored on a single by Jasper Keijzer.
The bases got loaded when pinch-hitter Niels van Weert also singled.
A walk for Kevin Moesquit and 2-run single by Bryan Engelhardt then tied the score and made it a new ballgame.
An important double play followed, as Dudley Leonora flied out, but that also led to the elimination of Moesquit.
In the bottom of the sixth, Nick Veltkamp became the new pitcher for Kinheim and retired the side (two strikeouts).
He then gave up an unearned run in the seventh.
Dwayne Kemp and Benjamin Dille (bunt) singled and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Raily Legito.
With two outs, Kemp scored the go-ahead run when Christian Diaz reached on the first important error.
Kinheim was retired in order (two strikeouts) in the top of the eighth by Markwell's reliever Kevin Kelly.
The Haarlem-squad then came alongside in the top of the ninth off of Berry van Driel, who ran into problems and gave up two (unearned) runs.
The righthander gave up singles to Kevin Moesquit and Bryan Engelhardt, then everyone was safe on a fielder's choice-sacrifice bunt by Dudley Leonora.
Hereafter, a crucial error on the side of Neptunus followed, as a throwing error to the plate was made on a force play-grounder by Oliver van der Wijst Severino.
With two outs, Kinheim got the bases loaded when Jochem Koedijk walked, but they failed to add more runs, as a strikeout ended the at bat.
However, Kinheim was now leading 6-5 and needed only three outs to win.
David Bergman took over the pitching, but another important throwing error followed that led to the tying run.
Benjamin Dille led off with a single, then was safe on second base when a throwing error was made on a force play-grounder by Raily Legito.
With one out, Dille went on to score the tying run on a double by Christian Diaz, but then a baserunning-error followed.
On the double by Diaz, Legito moved to third, but overran the base and was eliminated.
Instead of having runners on second and third base and one out, there now was a runner on second base only and two outs.
Diaz was left behind and the game went into extra innings.
In the top of the tenth inning, Bayron Cornelisse took over the Neptunus-pitching with Jochem Koedijk and Jasper Keijzer being the two tie-break runners.
Kinheim struck with three runs, but also wasn't enough.
First, the bases got loaded when Niels van Weert reached on a bunt-single.
Hereafter, Kevin Moesquit delivered a 2-run single and another run was scored when Bryan Engelhardt grounded into a double play.
For the second time, Kinheim had a win in sight, but now had a more comfortable lead of three runs, 9-6.
Again, the team failed to hold onto the lead, as Neptunus came alongside.
Another crucial moment followed, which led to the tying run.
With Christian Diaz and pinch-runner Steven Wharwood being the tie-break runners, a hit by Rien Vernooij decided the game.
He drilled the ball down the rightfield-line for a triple.
Diaz and Wharwood of course scored.
The ball was thrown towards home, but ended up near the backstop, while Vernooij slid into third base.
Shortly thereafter, there was contact between Vernooij and third baseman Oliver van der Wijst Severino and that led to the decision of awarding Vernooij home plate on obstruction.
And that enabled Vernooij to score the tying run!
Bergman followed with two strikeouts.
Dwayne Kemp then singled and moved to third base when Benjamin Dille reached on an error, but they were left behind when a grounder ended the at bat.
Due to the 10:30 PM curfew-rule, that also ended the game, which had an exciting closure, but ended in a 9-9 tie.
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Kinheim & Neptunus fail to hold onto leads against each other
ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Curaçao Neptunus and Kinheim didn't played the best defensive game against each other on Thursday-evening (April 21) and both failed to hold onto leads.
Neptunus led 4-0 after five innings, then Kinheim came alongside.
Neptunus led again after eight, but then Kinheim failed to hold onto a 6-5 lead in the ninth and an even more comfortable 9-6 led in the tenth at bat.
Chiel Berkhout (Kinheim) makes his debut in the Dutch big league.