Amsterdam opened the score in the top of the first inning, scoring an unearned run off of starter Diegomar Markwell.
With one out, the lefthander gave up a single to Zerzinho Croes, but he was forced out on a following grounde rby Nick Urbanus.
Hereafter, Kalian Sams singled down the leftfield-line.
On the basehit, Urbanus advanced to third base but when leftfielder Daniel Fernandes made an error, he was able to continue running to score the first run.
Amsterdam got its lead-off hitter on base in both the second and third inning, but stranded a runner in scoring position.
In the second inning, Kenny Berkenbosch led off with a doule, but was unable to advance on a following flyout and a grounder.
The inning then ended with another grounder.
In the third, Remco Draijer led off with a single and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Zerzinho Croes.
Draijer then reached third base on a grounder by Nick Urbanus, but also was left behind when powerhitter Kalian Sams grounded out.
Last Sunday, Sams made his comeback in the Amsterdam-team after having returned from Canada where he won the title of the independent CanAm League with Les Capitales de Québec.
In Sunday's game, Sams belted two homeruns for Amsterdam, which then won 5-0.
Amsterdam-starter Rob Cordemans retired the first seven batters he faced, three of them with a strikeout.
The veteran righthander, who next season will get an opportunity to break the all-time strikeout-record, saw only one ball being hit into outfield by the first seven batters he faced.
With two outs in the first inning, Gianison Boekhoudt flied out to leftfield.
With one out in the third inning, Cordemans gave up his first basehit when Benjamin Dille singled up the middle.
Cordemans followed with a his fourth strikeout and a grounder ended the at bat.
In the top of the fourth inning, Amsterdam got its lead-off hitter on base for the third consecutive inning, but this time, the team doubled its lead.
Gilmer Lampe led off with a single and moved to third base on a single by next hitter Kenny Berkenbosch, who ended up on second base himself.
Hereafter, Danny Rombley accounted for the third basehit in a row off of Markwell to bring in Lampe and make it a 2-0 score.
With runners at the corners, Rashid Gerard lined out to third baseman Dwayne Kemp, who then started an inning-ending double play on a following grounder by Max Clarijs.
While it appeared that the throw to first base was in time, Clarijs initially was ruled safe at first base, but was then called out after an umpire's conference.
Amsterdam Pirates added another run in the top of the fifth inning.
For the second time tonight, Remco Draijer led off with a basehit, this time a double.
It marked the fourth consecutive at bat that a Pirates-lead-off hitter reached base safely.
Draijer moved to third base on a following single by Zerzinho Croes, who advanced to second base himself on the throw from the outfield.
Moments later, Draijer scored the third Amsterdam-run on a sacrifice fly from Nick Urbanus.
That brought out Neptunus' Head Coach Ronald Jaarsma to the mound to make a pitching change.
Diegomar Markwell, who had given up nine basehits, was relieved by Jan Tomek to face powerhitters Kalian Sams and Gilmer Lampe.
But the first flied out and the second grounded out to end the at bat.
For the first time since the first inning, Amsterdam's lead-off hitter didn't reached base in the top of the sixth, as Jan Tomek struckout Kenny Berkenbisch.
With two outs, the Czech righthander walked Rashid Gerard, but he stranded on first base.
...Jochem Koedijk...
...score-tying 2-run single in 9th inning...
(© Photo: Robert Bos) |
Neptunus got more than one baserunner for the first time tonight in the bottom of the sixth inning and then also got into scoring position for the first time.
After Benjamin Dille had singled in the third inning, Rob Cordemans had retired nine consecutive hitters, adding three more strikeouts to raise his total to six.
But with one out in the sixth, Cordemans got the bases loaded, while some ground fog also started to settle down in the outfield.
Jochem Koedijk and Stijn van der Meer then both singled to put runners on first and third base.
Hereafter, Cordemans hit Gregory Muller with a pitch that loaded the bases.
That brought powerhitter Gianison Boekhoudt in the batter's box.
He led the regular season with eight homeruns and the Championship Pool with four.
Besides that, he finished in second place in the season with 36 runs batted in, trailing only Amsterdam's Danny Rombley, who had 40.
But this time, Boekhoudt didn't hit the ball out of the infield.
However, Neptunus scored its first run on his force play-grounder, which brought Van der Meer to third base, but eliminated Muller at second base.
Moments later, the home team narrowed the deficit to 3-2 on a single down the leftfield-line by Dwayne Kemp.
With runners on first and second base, Cordemans ended the at bat with his seventh strikeout of the evening and the third for Daniel Fernandes.
Amsterdam immediately reacted with a run of its own in the top of the seventh inning.
Remco Draijer led off with a walk (third time he reached as the lead-off hitter), but was forced out on a grounder by Zerzinho Croes.
The latter then scored all the way from first base when Nick Urbanus followed with a triple into leftfield.
That led to another pitching change, as Loek van Mil took over from Jan Tomek.
The tall righthander struckout Kalian Sams.
As the third strike was not under control of catcher Gianison Boekhoudt, a throw to first base was needed, but that kept Urbanus on third base.
Hereafter, Amsterdam got another baserunner when Van Mil hit Gilmer Lampe with a pitch.
With runners at the corners, a double-steal situation was in the making.
Lampe took off from first base, but Urbanus was eliminated at the plate, ending the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Rob Cordemans returned to the mound for Amsterdam and got three grounders.
After Amsterdam also was retired in the top of the eighth by Loek van Mil, Cordemans gave up a lead-off single to Jochem Koedijk in the bottom of the eighth.
Koedijk moved into scoring position on a grounder by Stijn van der Meer then was able to advance to third base when next batter Gregory Muller flied out to leftfielder Gilmer Lampe.
After Cordemans had thrown one ball on lefthanded hitting Gianison Boekhoudt and having thrown 112 pitches, Amsterdam's Head Coach Charles Urbanus also went to the bullpen.
He brought in lefthander Kyle Ward, who had been long sidelined this season with an injury.
Ward saw Boekhoudt hit a line drive, but that was caught by short stop Zerzinho Croes to end the inning, which left Koedijk behind on third base.
Van Mil retired the side again in the top of the ninth inning, then Neptunus struck with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to win the game after all!
With one out, Kyle Ward walked Daniel Fernandes and gave up a single to Shaldimar Daantji.
A pitching change followed, as Daan Hendrix took over from Ward, while rookie Ruendrick Piternella entered as pinch-hitter for Ruar Verkerk.
Daantji then stole second base, but Hendrix went on to strike out Piternella.
With two outs, but with first base open, it was opted to set up a force play and walk Benjamin Dille intentionally.
Dille was then replaced by pinch-runner Darryl Collins, another rookie and the grandson of Neptunus Bench Coach Jan Collins.
With the bases loaded, next hitter Jochem Koedijk drilled the ball into rightfield for a 2-run single that made it a 4-4 tie!
Collins advanced to third base on Koedijk's hit.
The first pitch of Hendrix to next hitter Stijn van der Meer ended in a wild pitch that enabled Collins to score the winning run!
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Neptunus comes from behind and wins Holland Series-opener on wild pitch
ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Reigning champion Curaçao Neptunus opened the 30th Holland Series on Thursday-evening (September 28) with a 5-4 come-from-behind victory against L&D Amsterdam Pirates.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven will be played coming Saturday in Amsterdam, followed by the third game on Sunday in Rotterdam.
The fourth game is scheduled for next Thursday-evening in Amsterdam.
Game One, best-of-seven Holland Series 2-17.