In the opening game of the exhibition season, Storks eyed very-well and played a solid game.
Neptunus was not at full force yet in its opener.
At the moment, the team misses infielder Dudley Leonora and outfielder Melvin Perdue, who will join the squad in the upcoming weeks.
Catcher Gianison Boekhoudt was not available today due to work.
...Kendrick Delima...
...2-for-4, run scored...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Storks had a productive first at bat off of veteran Diegomar Markwell.
The lefthander struggled somewhat with his control in the first inning, walks two batters and gave up two hits and three runs.
Hereafter, Markwell recovered fine and added two perfect innings.
He retired the final seven batters he faced in a row, including two strikeouts.
In the first inning, Imco Rudolph led off for Storks with a walk.
Rudolph is one of the newcomers in the Storks-squad and played for Euro Stars last season.
The infielder is one of the few players on the Storks-roster with big league-experience, as he played for Sparta-Feyenoord in the past.
With one out, the bases got loaded when Runai Coran (another newcomers) reached on an error and Kendrick Delima reached on a bunt-single.
Last year, Delima played for Rotterdam Orioles and made his debut in the Netherlands National Baseball Team during the World Port Tournament in Rotterdam (Netherlands).
Storks then opened the score when Aldi Guzman delivered a 2-run single.
Guzman came to Storks from The Hawks and also has some big league-experience.
The home team re-loaded the bases when Joran Berkhout walked.
Moments later, Berkhout was forced out on a grounder by Jurriaan Dijk, but that also enabled Delima to score the third run.
Neptunus was held scoreless and hitless in its first three innings by righthander Martin Kram.
He retired the first seven batters he faced (one strikeout).
With one out in the third inning, Darryl Collins became the first baserunner for Neptunus when he reached on an error.
With two outs, Kram walked Ruendrick Piternella, but a force out ended the at bat.
Neptunus narrowed the deficit to 3-2 by scoring two runs in the top of the fourth inning off of new pitcher José Moreno, who last season pitched in the big league for Pickles UVV.
Benjamin Dille led off with a single, but was forced out on a grounder by Dwayne Kemp.
Hereafter, Neptunus got the bases loaded when Quintin De Cuba and Gregory Muller both singled.
De Cuba is a newcomer in the Neptunus-squad after having played for Hoofddorp Pioniers last year.
A sacrifice fly by Shaldimar Daantji and a single by Jochem Koedijk then produced two runs.
Neptunus got the bases loaded again when Collins walked, but a grounder ended the at bat.
...Jurrian Koks pitching for the Netherlands...
...during the 2014 European Championship...
...in the Czech Republic...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Storks answered immediately with another 3-run rally in its fourth at bat off of new pitcher Jiorgeny Casimiri.
The 16-year old rookie gave up a lead-off double to Aldi Guzman.
He then walked Joran Berkhout and gave up a runscoring single to Jurriaan Dijk, which made it a 4-2 score and led to runners on first and third base.
Storks added its next run on a bunt-single/squeeze by Quinlan de Windt and a wild pitch lifted the lead to 6-2.
Casimiri then recovered and retired three of the next four batters.
He encountered not much problems in the next two innings.
José Moreno was supported with a double play in the fifth inning, then Nick Winkel threw a scoreless sixth for Storks.
In the seventh inning, righthander Jurrian Koks took over and retired the side.
Koks is one of the veterans in the Storks-team and pitched in the big league for ADO and Amsterdam Pirates.
He also pitched in the Netherlands National Team in 2014 which then won the European Championship.
But in the top of the eighth inning, Neptunus struck with four runs off of new pitcher Ricky Voorn, who also has pitched in the highest league for ADO.
Voorn was greeted with a lead-off double from Ruendrick Piternella, then gave up an one-out single to Benjamin Dille and got the bases loaded when he walked Dwayne Kemp.
Quintin De Cuba followed with a 2-run single.
With two outs, the inning could have ended, but Shaldimar Daantji then reached on an error, which also led to a run.
Jochem Koedijk added a runscoring single that tied the score at 6-6.
With runners at the corners, the inning ended with a flyout.
In the bottom of the eighth, Storks again was successful, as it got back on to top off of Berry van Driel, who had taken over the Neptunus-pitching in the seventh.
Joran Berkhout and Nick Nefs led off with singles and moved on a grounder from Philip Brandl.
Hereafter, Tyron de Windt connected for a 2-run single that decided the game, as both runners scored to make it an 8-6 score.
While trying to advance to second base, De Windt was eliminated at second base.
The inning ended with a grounder and that also was the final out of the game, as it ended after eight complete innings were played.
Both teams recorded 10 basehits in the game.
Benjamin Dille, Quintin De Cuba, Jochem Koedijk and Ruendrick Piternella all had two basehits for Neptunus.
Kendrick Delima and Aldi Guzman collected two hits for Storks.
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Storks opens exhibition season with win against Neptunus
THE HAGUE (Neth.) -
The exhibition season for the teams that will play in the Dutch big league this season went underway on Saturday (March 10) with one game.
Under cloudy skies, but in very acceptable weather conditions, it was Silicon Storks that recorded the first victory.
Playing at home, Storks won 8-6 against reigning champion Curaçao Neptunus.
Exhibition Game.