Pioniers struck with three runs in the top of the first inning off of veteran righthander Elton Koeiman and these runs were the basis for today's victory.
With two outs, Pioniers got the bases loaded when Dudley Leonora doubled, Quintin De Cuba walked and Max Draijer reached on an infield-hit.
All three runners then scored when Shurman Marlin followed with a baseclearing, 3-run double.
Pioniers-starter Chris Pfau was supported with a double play in the bottom of the first inning, but then gave up the first Neptunian run in the second at bat after Koeiman had retired the side in the top half of the inning.
Dwayne Kemp led off with a single, then Gianison Boekhoudt walked.
Hereafter, the two executed a double-steal.
Last Thursday-evening, it was the baserunning that was a contributing factor in the win of Neptunus in the opener against Pioniers.
The double-steal again led to a run, as Kemp scored on a grounder by Daniel Fernandes.
With two outs, Neptunus got another baserunnner when Jochem Koedijk was hit by a pitch, but the home team left two runners behind.
With that, the opening runs were batted in by players who played against their former team.
Before joining Pioniers for the 2016 season, Marlin had made his big league-debut playing for Neptunus.
Before joining Neptunus in 2016, Fernandes was the leading hitter for Pioniers in the 2015 season.
Before that, he already had played fot Neptunus, but he transfered to Pioniers after the 2014 season.
Pioniers took some more distance in the top of the third inning, adding two more runs.
Mervin Gario led off with a single and Dudley Leonora walked.
Next batter Quintin De Cuba then grounded into a double play, but Gario scored the next run when Max Draijer reached on an error.
Moments later, Draijer stole second base and scored when Shurman Marlin delivered another RBI-double.
When next batter Gianni Frolijk also singled, it brought it Neptunus Head Coach Ronald Jaarsma to make a pitching change.
Misja Harcksen took over from Elton Koeiman and got a force play-grounder, but Neptunus now trailed 5-1.
Pioniers made another double play in the third inning.
The team then saw Neptunus leave another runner in the next at bat, which was interrupted for 34 minutes due to rain.
The delay came with one out, then Gianison Boekhoudt singled when the game resumed.
He advanced on a wild pitch, but then was left behind.
Neptunus had some strong finishes this season with some late comebacks, but this time, it was unable to turn the game its way.
Pioniers added another run in the top of the fifth inning when Max Draijer homered with two outs to make it a 6-1 score.
In the remainder of the game, Pioniers was held scoreless by the Neptunus-bullpen, despite getting some runners in scoring position.
In the seventh, rookie Joey Eeman led off with a single and stole second base with two outs, but stranded when Harcksen closed with a strikeout.
In the eighth, Berry van Driel took over the pitching for Neptunus.
He walked lead-off hitter Max Draijer, who stole second and third base, but then was left behind.
Loek van Mil pitched the ninth inning for Neptunus.
He gave up an one-out double to Joey Eeman, who then reached third base on wild pitch while Mervin Gario struckout.
Moments later, Gario was caught stealing and Eeman was left behind on third base.
Trailing 6-1, Neptunus got several scoring opportunities in the remainder of the game.
The team got one run back in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Lead-off hitter Jochem Koedijk then was hit by a pitch and moved on an infield-hit by Shaldimar Daantji.
The two advanced on a grounder, then Koedijk scored on a sacrifice fly by Benjamin Dille.
Christian Diaz followed with an infield-hit, but two runners were left behind.
Neptunus again got runners on second and third base with one out in the sixth inning.
With one out, Daniel Fernandes and Gregory Muller walked and moved on a passed ball.
Next batter Jochem Koedijk then grounded the ball back to Chris Pfau.
A crucial moment followed, as the two runners moved on the grounder and Pfau eliminated Fernandes coming from third base.
Another grounder ended the at bat and so, two more runners stranded.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Neptunus narrowed the deficit to 6-4 by scoring twice off of the Pioniers-bullpen.
Darryl Jamoena started the inning in relief of Chris Pfau, but was greeted with a double by Stijn van der Meer, then hit next batter Benjamin Dille with a pitch.
After a flyout, Jamoena was relieved by Maickel Rietel, but he got the bases loaded when he walked Dwayne Kemp.
Rietel followed with a strikeout, but then gave up a runscoring single to Daniel Fernandes and saw another runner scored when he walked Gregory Muller.
With that, Neptunus got a chance to turn the game its way, but Rietel closed with another strikeout.
In the eighth, Rietel gave up a 2-run single to Benjamin Dille, but a grounder ended the at bat.
In the ninth, short stop Dudley Leonora caught a lead-off line drive from Dwayne Kemp, but hereafter, Gianison Boekhoudt and Daniel Fernandes singled.
The game then ended when the Pioniers-defense turned its third double play of the afternoon.
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Pioniers outscores Neptunus, closes in on Play-Offs
ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Hoofddorp PIoniers won 6-4 against Curaçao Neptunus on Saturday-afternoon (July 22) and now is close to become the fourth (and final) team to qualify for the Play-Offs.
34-minute rain-delay in bottom 4th, one out, no baserunners, Pioniers leading 5-1.