DSS vs. Vaessen Pioniers
The first five innings of today's game belonged to DSS.
The Haarlem-squad scored three runs in the fifth inning, held Pioniers to only two basehits and led 3-0 after five innings.
From the sixth inning on, the game had a completely different face.
Pioniers collected 15 basehits off of six different pitchers, scored 18 runs and made it a slugfest.
In its final four at bats, DSS was limited to only one basehit.
DSS-starter Mike Groen threw five fine innings.
With one out in the first inning, he walked Max Draijer, who last Thursday-evening played in his first game of the season for Pioniers after completing his study and season in the USA.
On Thursday, he entered the game defensively in the eighth inning, today he started as third baseman.
With Draijer on base, Groen was supported with a double play.
Groen retired the side in the second and third inning, then saw Pioniers reach base again in the fourth.
Zerzinho Croes led off with a single and stole second base, then Max Draijer walked.
The two moved on a sacrifice bunt by Austin Weymouth, but then were left behind.
In the fifth, Groen gave up an one-out single by Shurman Marlin, but he was forced out.
Lefthander Chris Pfau started for Pioniers, gave up an one-out single to Menno Lenting in the first inning, but then two force play-grounders followed.
Hereafter, he retired the side in the next three innings, including five strikeouts, three of which he registered in the second inning.
But Pfau then ran into problems in the bottom of the fifth inning when DSS scored three runs.
Ryan Miner led off with a walk.
With two outs, Tommy van der Sanden also walked, then both runners scored on a double by Mitchel Dautzenberg.
Joffrey Heus followed with a single, then Van der Sanden scored the next run on a passed ball.
A strikeout ended the inning, but DSS was leading 3-0 after five innings!
With that, Mike Groen was in line for his first victory of the season, but then the bullpen of DSS failed to hold onto the lead and gave up 18 runs in the next four innings!
...Kevin Dirksen...
...3 hits, homerun, 8 runs batted in...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the top of the sixth, Groen walked Zerzinho Croes and Max Draijer and was relieved by Gijs Timmer.
He was greeted with runscoring singles by Austin Weymouth and Quintin De Cuba that made it a 3-2 score.
Timmer was quickly replaced by Tim Halderman, the announced starting pitcher for Sunday's game.
He saw De Cuba steal second base, then gave up a sacrifice fly to Kevin Dirksen that tied the score.
Hereafter, Glenn Bakker singled and stole scond base, then Shurman Marlin delivered a 2-run single that gave Pioniers a 5-3 lead.
Halderman was then replaced by Max Ploegstra, who became the fourth pitcher for DSS in this inning.
A caught stealing and strikeout ended the at bat, but the game had turned around in favor of Pioniers.
DSS was retired in order in the bottom of the sixth, then Pioniers added three runs in the top of the seventh.
Brennan Nijhof led off with a walk, then Zerzinho Croes singled.
With these runners on second and third base, two outs followed, then Rik Geestman was brought in as reliever for Max Ploegstra.
He walked Quintin De Cuba, which loaded the bases, then gave up a 2-run single to Kevin Dirksen.
A single by Glenn Bakker then loaded the bases again and a following walk for Shurman Marlin accounted for the next run.
Geestman was replaced by Timo van Lingen, who made his first appearance of the season for DSS.
A flyout ended the inning, but Pioniers now lead 8-3.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Chris Pfau struckout three batters, but the first of them reached on a passed ball.
With two outs, Jonatan Isenia took over the pitching and caught a line drive from next batter Mitchel Dautzenberg to end the inning.
Pioniers then again scored three runs in the eighth inning, which again were scored with two outs.
Brennan Nijhof led of with a walk and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Max Draijer.
Hereafter, pinch-hitter Brian Raap reached on an error and Quintin De Cuba singled, then both scored on a double by Kevin Dirksen.
A peculiar move then followed, as (pitcher) Lars Huijer (last Thursday's starter) then was inserted as a pinch-hitter.
Huijer walked and was replaced at first base by pinch-runner Chiel Berkhout.
Non-hitting pitchers do get some at bats towards the end of the regular season, but almost never during the season.
Due to the big run-difference, it was possible to make this change, but it remains peculiar.
The bases got loaded when Shurman Marlin also walked.
Hereafter, Sven van der Sanden, who is an outfielder, took over the pitching for DSS and closed the inning with a strikeout.
In the top of the ninth inning, Pioniers rallied for seven runs off of Van der Sanden on six basehits.
With two runners on base, Brian Raap hit a runscoring single and Quintin De Cuba followed with an RBI-double, then Kevin Dirksen added a 3-run homerun.
A double by Shurman Marlin and single by Zerzinho Croes then lifted the lead to 18-3.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, off of closer Sedley Karel, DSS got the bases loaded when pinch-hitter Ties van der Beek and Tommy van der Sanden (both with one out) and Joffrey Heus (with two outs) all walked, but a strikeout (the third in the inning) then ended the very long game.
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Pioniers wins big in marathon against DSS
HAARLEM (Neth.) -
DSS led 3-0 after five innings on Saturday-afternoon (May 21) against Vaessen Pioniers.
So far, the first five innings were played on one hour and 15 minutes.