(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Robert Bos)
  Van Mil & Nooij open Australian Play-Off with loss
Nederlands
 ADELAIDE, South Australia (Australia) -
SA Power Networks Adelaide Bite, the team of Dutch players Loek van Mil and Bas Nooij, lost 3-1 to WellDog Brisbane Bandits on Friday (February 3) in the opener of the best-of-three Australian Baseball League Preliminary Final.
Playing at home, Adelaide opened the score in the sixth inning, but reigning champion Brisbane then rallied for three runs in the eighth at bat.
The Play-Off now moves to Brisbane, where Game 2 will be played on Saturday.
When a third game is needed, it will also played in Brisbane.
The winner of this series, becomes the second finalist and will meet Jet Couriers Melbourne Aces next week in the best-of-three Championship Series.
Adelaide and Brisbane met each other eight times in the regular season.
Both won four games.
Last year, the two faced each other in the Championship Final.
Brisbane then swept Adelaide in two games.
Pitcher Loek van Mil and catcher Bas Nooij both didn't play in the opener, which remained scoreless in the first five innings.
At the Adelaide Shores Baseball Complex, Brisbane-starter Justin Erasmus did very well.
The righthander struckout five batters and gave up only one basehit, before being relieved with two outs in the sixth inning.
He was credited with the lone run Adelaide scored and so, he was in line to become the losing pitcher.
Brisbane then scored three runs runs in the eighth and with that, Erasmus had a no-decision.
Adelaide-starter Max MacNabb struckout six batters and gave up only five hits in the seven innings he pitched.
Brisbane reached base first in the top of the third inning off of starter Max MacNabb.
With two outs, Wade Dutton singled, but he was left behind.
Brisbane got into scoring position for the first time in the fourth when David Rodriguez doubled with two outs, but he also stranded.
In the fifth, Thomas Milone singled with one out for the defending champion, but he was later caught stealing at second base to end the at bat.
Justin Erasmus retired the first eleven batters he faced.
He then walked Mitch Dening with two outs in the fourth, but followed with a strikeout.
Erasmus retired the side again in the fifth, but he then lost his No-Hitter when Jordan McArdle led off the sixth inning with a single.
Earlier this week, the 18-year old McArdle signed a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In his first ABL-season, McArdle batted .278.
With two outs and McArdle on first base, Erasmus was relieved by Ryan Rowland-Smith.
However, the veteran was greeted with a triple by Jordan Cowan that gave Adelaide an 1-0 lead.
Cowan stranded when a flyout ended the at bat.
...Justin Erasmus pitching for Twins in the...
...second highest Dutch league in 2015...
(© Photo: Robert Bos) |
Brisbane left another runner in scoring position in the top of the seventh, but then struck with three runs in the eighth.
For Adelaide, Matthew Williams took over the pitching from starter Max MacNabb, who had done very well.
But he ran into problems quickly.
He gave up singles to David Sutherland and Wade Dutton.
Hereafter, Aaron Whitefield's sacrifice bunt ended in a throwing error from Williams, which led to the tying run and runners on second and third base.
Veteran Trent Oeltjen followed with a double to bring in both runners and give Brisbane a 3-1 lead.
A walk followed, but then a double play and pop-out ended the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Ryan Searle became the new pitcher for Adelaide.
With two outs, he gave up two singles, but then closed with a strikeout.
In the ninth, he retired the side to end the game.
Veterans Ryan Rowland-Smith and Trent Oeltjen are very familiar names in international baseball.
Oeltjen was 2-for-4 (both doubles) in this game, while Rowland-Smith pitched one scoreless inning.
Oeltjen plays professionally for 14 years, Rowland-Smith is a 15-year pro.
Both played in the Major League, outfielder Oeltjen in 99 games, pitcher Rowland-Smith in 121 games.
33-year old Oeltjen with the Arizona Diamondbacks (2009) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2010-2011), the 34-year old Rowland-Smith with the Seattle Mariners (2007-2010) and Diamondbacks (2014).
Besides that, the two played many games for the Australian National Team, with whom they won the Silver Medal at the Olympic Games of 2004 in Athens (Greece).
(February 3)
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