Initially, DSS had a good opening and got into scoring position right away in the top of the first inning off of starter Diegomar Markwell and even could have had the opportunity to open the score.
Mitchel Dautzenberg led off with a single and Devano Pieter followed with a bunt.
Markwell fielded the bunt and attempted to force out Dautzenberg at second base, but he reached their safely in a close play.
With that, Pieter was credited with a fielder's choice-sacrifice bunt and DSS had a runner in scoring position with no outs.
However, moments later an unnecessary double play followed.
Kevin Nieveld popped up into short right-centerfield, where centerfielder Shaldimar Daantji made the catch.
Dautzenberg had taken off on contact and already had past third base when he realized the ball had been caught and so, the only thing Daantji had to do was toss the ball to second baseman Stijn van der Meer to complete a double play.
Next batter Koen Halderman was hit by a pitch in his first at bat of the season (in his first game of the season) and the inning ended when short stop Dwayne Kemp caught a line drive from Tino van Erk.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Neptunus-offense supported Markwell with three runs off of starter Sander Helmendach.
Stijn van der Meer led off with a triple, Benjamin Dille walked and both scored when Christian Diaz followed with a double.
For Dille, it was his first game back in the line-up since May 14.
Back then, he left the game against Hoofddorp Pioniers after sustaining a cut in his leg due to a spike in a stolen base-situation.
The Belgian infielder needed five stitches, but today, he made his comeback and was the designated hitter for Neptunus.
Dille scored moments later on a single by Dwayne Kemp to make it a 3-0 score.
In the top of the second inning, DSS again got into scoring position when Levine Gabriëls and Thomas Bos both walked with two outs, but they were left behind.
The DSS-defense made some nice plays in the bottom of the second.
Rightfielder Koen Halderman made a nice diving catch on a line drive by Gregory Muller, then a double play followed after next batter Shaldimar Daantji had walked.
In the third inning, DSS got one run back.
With one out, Kevin Nieveld doubled, moved on a grounder by Koen Halderman and scored on a single by Tino van Erk to narrow the deficit to 3-1.
But that would be the lone run today for the Haarlem-squad.
...Dirk van 't Klooster, the Acting Head Coach of DSS,...
...throws batting practice before the game...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
In the bottom of the third inning, Neptunus decided the game thanks to a 7-run rally on only three basehits.
DSS-starter Sander Helmendach couldn't find the strikezone anymore and walked four consecutive batters.
Of the 18 pitches the righthander threw, only two were close enough for Home Plate Umpire Henri van Heijningen to call them a strike.
After walking lead-off hitter Benjamin Dille, Helmendach walked both Christian Diaz and Dwayne Kemp on four straight pitches.
When he also walked Gianison Boekhoudt, it not only brought in a run, it also brought out Acting Head Coach Dirk van 't Klooster to the mound to make a change.
Donny Breek took over, but he was greeted with a 2-run single by Daniel Fernandes.
Hereafter, Breek gave up back-to-back triples to Ruar Verkerk (2-run) and Gregory Muller (1-run) that lifted the lead to 9-1.
The latter's triple was misjudged by centerfielder Jordan Illis, who saw the ball sail over his head to the warning track.
Moments later, Muller scored the next run on a grounder by Shaldimar Daantji.
With that, Neptunus led 10-1 and the game was more or less played, which also clearly showed on the field.
Neptunus reached the 10-run difference in the fourth inning off of new pitcher Robyn Clara, who pitched the final three innings for DSS.
With one out, he gave up a double to Dwayne Kemp.
With two outs, he got the bases loaded when he walked Daniel Fernandes and Ruar Verkek, then gave up a runscoring single to Gregory Muller.
Neptunus left three runners behind, but now led 11-1.
After scoring its run in the third inning, DSS got into scoring position two more times.
In the fourth, with two outs, Thomas Bos walked and Mitchel Dautzenberg singled, but a soft liner ended the at bat.
In the seventh, rightfielder Christian Diaz pitched for Neptunus.
He walked lead-off hitter Dautzenberg, but then a double play followed.
Hereafter, Kevin Nieveld reached on an error and advanced on a passed ball, but then also was left behind.
The choice of bringing in Diaz to pitch might look somewhat surprising, but this was a moment in the game that didn't need to bring in another pitcher.
Neptunus had a 10-run difference and needed only three more outs to end the game.
Furthermore, Head Coach Ronald Jaarsma gave Diaz some additional pitching rhythm, as he might be needed in relief during the upcoming European Champions Cup-tournament in Regensburg (Germany).
That event opens in one-and-a-half-week and Neptunus still has to do without injured closer Loek van Mil in its bullpen.
|
Neptunus records easy win against DSS
ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Curaçao Neptunus encountered no problems on a sunny Thursday-afternoon (May 25) against DSS and recorded an easy 11-1 win in 6½ inning.
The 3-game series continues on Saturday in Haarlem.
Dirk van 't Klooster 'Acting Head Coach' for Jerry Breek, who sat out the first game of a 2-game suspension.