Hoofddorp Pioniers-starter Scott Prins got the lead-off hitter on base in both the first and second inning, but both were caught stealing.
So far this season, Prins had been the starter in Game 2 of the 3-game series Pioniers played, while lefthander Chris Pfau had been the starter in the openers.
However, that was changed for this series, as Prins will leave tomorrow (Friday) for the USA, where he will study and play baseball in the winter months.
...Mark Smit steals the plate and scores the lone run for...
...for Hoofddorp Pioniers in the 1st inning...
...Batter Joey Eeman tries to get out of the way, while...
...HP Umpire Martijn Bosschaat closely follows the play...
(© Photo: Alfred Cop Fotografie) |
In the top of the first inning, Prins gave up a lead-off single to Jeandro Tromp.
With two outs, the inning ended when Tromp was caught stealing thanks to catcher Jaison Gijsbertha and short stop Max Draijer.
In the second at bat, the same happened.
Arthur Bonevacia led off with a single for HCAW.
With one out, Bonevacia also was caught stealing, this time when Gijsbertha got the ball in time to second baseman Raul Jacobs.
HCAW-starter Luuk ter Beek, who last season pitched for Pioniers, gave up a run in the bottom of the first inning.
With his third pitch, the righthander hit lead-off hitter Mark Smit, who then stole second base and moved to third base on a following single by Victor Draijer.
With runners on first and third base, a successful double-steal followed.
Draijer took off towards second base, then Smit left when the throw to second base followed and scored with a head-first sliding.
Hereafter, Draijer advanced on a throwing error back to the plate, but then was left behind on third base.
In the regular season, Draijer wrote history by hitting a basehit in all 21 games.
Besides having a 21-game hitting streak, Draijer became the Best Hitter with a .500 batting average.
Today, he recorded a basehit in his 22nd consecutive game this season.
Trailing 1-0, HCAW rallied for three runs in the top of the third inning.
Kevin Dirksen led off with a walk, stole second base and move to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Christopher Ge.
He then scored the tying run on a single by Bob van der Meer, which led to an injury for second baseman Raul Jacobs, who left the game.
Pioniers Head Coach Mervin Gario replaced Jacobs and took over third base, while third baseman Jorrit Penseel moved to first base.
There, he took over the postion of Duco Nuijten, who became the new second baseman.
After these defensive changes were made, Van der Meer stole second base.
With one out, Linoy Croes singled.
Van der Meer was waved home to score, but appeared to be eliminated at the plate.
However, an error followed, Van der Meer was safe and scored the second run.
Croes advanced to second base on the throw to the plate.
Moments later, he stole third base and scored when another error was made.
With that, all runs were scored in tonight's game.
HCAW, which got on base in all nine innings, got eight more baserunners in the remainder of the game, three of them in scoring position.
With one out in the top of the fourth, Berend Ruben was caught stealing.
With one out in the fifth, Raibiëntly Mercalina (who had replaced Bob van der Meer) walked and Jeandro Tromp singled.
They were left behind on second and third base.
...HCAW-catcher Rodney Daal makes a nice catch...
...on a pop-fly hit by Max Draijer in the 5th inning...
(© Photo: Alfred Cop Fotografie) |
In the sixth, HCAW got its final runner in scoring position.
With two outs, Berend Ruben walked and advanced on a single by Kevin Dirksen, but a grounder closed the at bat.
With one out in the sixth, Jeandro Tromp recorded his third single in the game, but he was eliminated in a double play.
HCAW got its next baserunner with two outs in the eighth.
Rodney Daal then singled, but stranded on first base.
With one out in the ninth, Angelo Wicklert took over the pitching from Scott Prins.
With two outs, he walked Raibiëntly Mercalina, but he became the fourth HCAW-runner that was caught stealing.
Pioniers was held scoreless after the first inning.
Trailing 3-1, the team got the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the third inning.
Victor Draijer then walked, Max Draijer singled and an error on a force-play grounder by Joey Eeman loaded the bases.
All three were left behind when a comeback-grounder ended the inning.
In the fourth inning, Jaison Gijsbertha singled for Pioniers with one out, but HCAW-starter Luuk ter Beek was then supported with a double play on a grounder by Jorrit Penseel.
Ter Beek retired the side in the fifth and sixth inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ter Beek began with his fifth strikeout, but then gave up a single to Jorrit Penseel, who moved to second base on an outfield-error.
That led to a pitching change, as Gio de Graauw took over, but he got the bases loaded.
De Graauw walked Mervin Gario, then gave up a single to Mark Smit.
But again, Pioniers left three runners behind, as Victor Draijer fouled out and Max Draijer flied out.
Pioniers got another scoring opportunity in the bottom of the eighth.
De Graauw gave up a lead-off double to Joey Eeman, then walked Duco Nuijten.
An attempt for a sacrifice bunt by pinch-hitter Reangelo Willems was then caught by first baseman Patrick Bok.
The inning then ended when Jaison Gijsbertha grounded into a double play.
Arij Fransen pitched the ninth inning for HCAW.
He retired the side, but got two flyouts in the outfield.
First, Bram Stoovelaar (who had entered the game in the 8th as new second baseman) led off and drove the ball down the rightfield-line.
There, it was caught in foul territory by rightfielder Linoy Croes.
Next batter Mervin Gario drilled the ball into centerfield, where it was caught by Jeandro Tromp.
The inning ended when Mark Smit grounded out.
And with that, the game ended and Fransen earned a save.
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HCAW opens Top-4 Pool with small win vs. Hoofddorp Pioniers
HOOFDDORP (Neth.) -
HCAW trailed early, but recorded a small 3-1 win against Hoofddorp Pioniers in its opening game of the Top-4 Pool on Thursday-evening (September 10).
Last season, a best-of-five Play-Off format was used with the number one of the regular season meeting the number four.
In the other Play-Off, the nummers two and three met.
The two winners then advanced to the Holland Series.
Top-4 Pool.