...5-year old Justin Bogaard throws out...
...the ceremonial first pitch, as watched...
...by 92-year old Daam Hoogendijk, who in...
...1957 was one of the founders of HCAW...
(© Photo: Alfred Cop Fotografie) |
HCAW was three outs away from its second win of the season, but saw the lead slip out of their hands after a pitching change.
HCAW's starting pitcher Kaj Timmermans did a great job and threw eight strong innings.
In these innings, the righthander held Pioniers to only five basehits and saw only two runners get into scoring position.
He also got fine support from his defense, including some nice plays from third baseman Vince Rooi.
In the top of the second inning, Timmermans gave up one-out singles to Quintin De Cuba and Brennan Nijhof, but followed with a strikeout, then a flyout ended the at bat.
In the next four innings, Timmermans encountered no problems.
He gave up a lead-off single to Shurman Marlin in the fourth, but was supported with a double play moments later.
In the meantime, HCAW had taken a 2-0 lead off of Pioniers-starter Chris Pfau.
The American lefthander gave up a lead-off single to Dylan Koster in the third inning, which was his first in the big league.
Koster was forced out on a grounder by Raoell Kortstam, who later advanced on a grounder by Roelie Henrique.
With Boyd Tuhumury in the batter's box, Kortstam stole third base, but when the pitch ended in a wild pitch, he also was able to score the first run.
The Pioniers-defense turned a double play in the fourth inning and Pfau retired the side in the fifth, but then gave up the second HCAW-run in the sixth.
Pfau also pitched a fine game and gave up only three basehits in 7 2/3 inning, but also two runs.
With two outs in the sixth, he hit Vince Rooi with a pitch.
He then scored all the way from first base on a double by (former Pioniers-player) Kevin Dirksen to add an insurance run and make it a 2-0 score.
Trailing 2-0, Pioniers got a scoring opportunity in the top of the seventh inning.
Jeffrey Arends led off with a single, then Quintin De Cuba walked.
It was not opted to bunt over the two runners.
Instead, De Cuba was forced out on a grounder by Brennan Nijhof, who was caught stealing himself moments later.
Arends stranded on third base when Timmermans closed with a strikeout.
The righthander retired the side in the eighth.
Despite the cold and the early stage of the new season, Timmermans returned to the mound in the top of the ninth inning, as he was still throwing well and had a low pitch-count.
His 95th delivery in the game ended in a single by Sander Paap and led to a pitching change.
Closer Sedley Karel was brought in, but he was unable to hold on to the lead.
Karel's goal for this season is to set a record in saves, but instead he was credited with a Blown Save today.
After Shurman Marlin flied out, Jeffrey Arends singled and was replaced by pinch-runner Mark Smit.
Hereafter, Quintin De Cuba lined the ball into rightfield where it hit something and bounced back onto the field.
Paap and Smit scored, while De Cuba's hit was ruled a ground-rule double initiallly.
However, the ball had clearly left the field and had bounced back from the outfield-fence of the adjacent second baseball-field on the HCAW-site.
After protests from Pioniers Head Coach Dè Flanegin and 1B Coach Angelo Clemensia, the umpiring crew got together to review the situation.
They then took the correct decision, reversed the call and ruled De Cuba's hit a homerun.
With that, Pioniers took a 3-2 lead.
Hereafter, Karel walked Brennan Nijhof and Glenn Bakker and was replaced by Moreno Vork.
He was greeted with a runscoring single by former HCAW-player Gianni Frolijk that loaded the bases.
Rookie Duco Nuijten followed with a sacrifice fly that made it a 4-2 score.
Maickel Rietel, who transfered from HCAW to Pioniers after the 2015 season, had taken over the pitching from Pfau during the eighth inning.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, the righthander gave up a lead-off single to Kevin Dirksen, but then retired the next three batters to become the winning pitcher.
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Pioniers strikes in ninth inning against HCAW
BUSSUM (Neth.) -
HCAW opened the new season on Thursday-evening with a convincing 14-4 victory against Hoofddorp Pioniers and was en route to its second win on Saturday (April 15).
The Bussum-squad led 2-0 when the top of the ninth inning began, but then Pioniers turned the game its way, thanks to a 3-run homerun (which needed a review) and went on to win 4-2.
For HCAW, it was its first home game in its jubilee-year, as the clubs celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.
Before the game, during a brief ceremony, the starting players of HCAW were introduced, accompanied by youth-players.
Longtime club-volunteer Marja Ruisch was then officially named Member of Merrit of HCAW for her many contributions for the club.
Through the years, amongst many other things, she was active as Public Address Announcer and was the hostess to the game-officials before and after the game.
Hereafter, the annual club-awards for last season were handed out.
Roelie Henrique got the Jan Bruineman Trophy for being the team's Best Hitter, while Ian Delemarre received the Jeroen Hubert Trophy for Best Pitcher.
Opening Weekend 2017 Season.