Grand Slam * Stats & News
Updated: September 11, 2020
Info, Scores & Statistics
Index Headlines
Baseball Scores & Stats
Softball Women Scores & Stats
Softball Men Scores & Stats
Copyright © 1997-2020
Grand Slam/Marco Stoovelaar


www.grand-slam.nl
Baseball
Headlines
Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2020 by Marco Stoovelaar




(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Robert Bos)

Neptunus strikes late to win Top-4 opener against Amsterdam Pirates
Nederlands

ROTTERDAM (Neth.) - Curaçao Neptunus opened the Top-4 Pool on Thursday-evening (September 10) with a 7-4 come-from-behind victory against reigning champion L&D Amsterdam Pirates.

In the Top-4 (or Championship) Pool, the four best teams of the regular season play a round-robin competition. Each team plays a 3-game series against the others, meaning a total of nine games will be played in this pool in a 3-week period.

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.

Instead, the Pool-format will be used again this season, which of course is not a real Play-Off, but instead is a competition-format. The two best teams in this Pool will qualify for the best-of-seven Holland Series, which opens op Thursday, October 1. The teams that finish in third and fourth place will play in a Cup Competition, which was added to the postseason in June.

In previous seasons when the Pool-format was used, the two best teams of the regular season always would close this competition against each other. This season, the numbers one and two face each other in the opening series.

Tonight, Neptunus trailed 4-0 halfway the second inning, but then scored three runs. The team still trailed 4-3 halfway the sixth, but then had another 3-run rally after a pitching change to turn the game its way.

Neptunus collected nine basehits, including two by Stijn van der Meer, Dudley Leonora and Coco Johnson. The latter had two doubles and batted in four runs.

Amsterdam Pirates recorded only four basehits, including two by Delano Selassa.

(September 10)



Neptunus-starter Diegomar Markwell got three grounders in the top of the first inning. In the second inning, the veteran lefthander saw Amsterdam Pirates come to a 4-run rally.

Markwell encountered problems with his control in the top of the second, as he walked the first three batters, Kalian Sams, Rashid Gerard and Niels van Weert. And so, Pirates got the bases loaded with no outs. Of the 14 pitches Markwell threw to these three batters, only two were called as a strike. Markwell then recovered somewhat, as he struckout (looking) next batter (and rookie) Jair van Borkulo on five pitches. But hereafter, Max Clarijs connected for a 2-run double, Roelie Henrique followed with a sacrifice fly and Delano Selassa added a runscoring double. The inning ended when Selassa attempted to steal third base, but was caught there.

Veteran-righthander Rob Cordemans started for Amsterdam Pirates. He gave up three basehits in the first inning, but kept Neptunus scoreless. Stijn van der Meer led off with a single, then John Polonius grounded into a double play. With two outs, Dwayne Kemp and Gianison Boekhoudt both singled. They were left behind, as Cordemans closed by striking out Dashenko Ricardo.

In the bottom of the second inning, Neptunus scored three runs to narrow the deficit to 4-3. Dudley Leonora led off with a single. With one out, he stole second base, then Darryl Collins walked. The two runners scored when Coco Johnson followed with a double. The American outfielder advanced to third base on the throw to the plate and later scored on a single by Stijn van der Meer. A grounder by John Polonius led to Van der Meer being forced out at second base and the inning ended with a pop-fly from Dwayne Kemp.

In the next three innings, no runs were scored, but it was Pirates that got a few chances to take some more distance. With one out in the top of the third inning, Gilmer Lampe doubled, but was left behind on second base.

Diegomar Markwell retired the side in the fourth, but ran into more problems in the fifth. With one out, Delano Selassa singled and Sharlon Schoop walked. That ended the evening for Markwell, who was replaced by Aaron de Groot. After a flyout, he got the bases loaded when he walked Kalian Sams. However, the three runners were left behind, as De Groot closed by striking out Rashid Gerard.

Rob Cordemans did much better, as he retired the side in the third, fourth and fifth inning. With that, the righthander retired ten batters in a row since the second inning (including three strikeouts).

After Aaron de Groot had retired the side in the top of the sixth, Shairon Martis took over the Amsterdam-pitching in the bottom of the sixth. However, the former Major Leaguer ran into problems and gave up three runs. This was not entirely his fault, as a crucial error was involved, which made all three runs unearned. Martis walked lead-off hitter Gianison Boekhoudt, who was forced out on a bunt by Dashenko Ricardo. Hereafter, Dudley Leonora grounder out and a following grounder by Shaldimar Daantji appeared to be the third out. Instead, it ended in an error, which enabled Ricardo to score the tying run. Next batter Darryl Colins walked and Coco Johnson followed with his second 2-run double that put Neptunus ahead, 6-4.

Neptunus got the bases loaded in the seventh, but was held scoreless. With one out, Martis walked Gianison Boekhoudt, then Mike Groen took over the Amsterdam-pitching. The righthander got the bases loaded when he walked Dashenko Ricardo and gave up a single to Dudley Leonora. Groen followed with a strikeout and a grounder ended the inning, meaning three runners were left behind.

Neptunus then added an insurance run in the eighth inning off of Tom de Blok. With one out, he walked Stijn van der Meer and gave up a single to John Polonius. The two runners advanced on a wild pitch and with first base now open, a force play was set up by walking Dwayne Kemp intentionally. The force play-grounder didn't come and instead, De Blok uncorked another wild pitch that enabled Van der Meer to score the seventh run for Neptunus. With runners on second and third base, De Blok struckout Gianison Boekhoudt and got an inning-ending grounder from Dashenko Ricardo, but Neptunus now led 7-4.

Amsterdam Pirates was unable to turn the game around again. The team got only one baserunner in its final four at bats. After Aaron de Groot had retired the side in the sixth, he walked lead-off hitter Roelie Henrique in the seventh. A strikeout and a foul pop-fly then accounted for two outs, but thereafter, De Groot was relieved by Kevin Kelly. He saw Henrique steal second base, but closed with a strikeout.

Kelly retired the side in the eighth and ninth inning and with that, the righthander retired all seven batters he faced tonight to earn a save.


...Left: Gianison Boekhoudt poses with participants of a clinic before the game...
...Right: Head Coaches Ronald Jaarsma and Michael Duursma greet each other and HP Umpire Edwin Louisa...

...Diegomar Markwell and Rob Cordemans were the starting pitchers for Neptunus and Amsterdam Pirates...

...Left: Dwayne Kemp dives back during a pick-off while 1B Jair van Borkulo tags in the 1st inning...
...Right: Neptunus Bench Coach Jan Collins (21) is going to gave a talk with pitcher Diegomar Markwell,...
...who is accompanied by catcher Dashenko Ricardo and 1B Dudley Leonora...

...Max Clarijs (left) hits a 2-run double in the 2nd inning and rightfielder Coco Johnson (right) sees it land behind him...

...Dudley Leonora steals 2nd base for Neptunus in the 2nd inning...
...2B Sharlon Schoop appears to have a chance to eliminate him, but the ball jumps away...

...Darryl Collins (left) scores the second run for Neptunus in the 2nd inning on a 2-run double...
...by Coco Johnson (right), who ends up on 3rd base on the throw to the plate...

...Left: Pirates-catcher Max Clarijs catches a foul pop-fly in the 4th inning...
...Right: Coco Johnson is eliminated in the 4th inning as 1B Jair van Borkulo has the ball in time...

...Delano Selassa hits a single (left) in the fifth inning, then dives back during a pick-off attempt (right)...
...while first baseman Dudley Leonora waits for the ball...

...Neptunus-starter Diegomar Markwell gives the ball to Head Coach Ronald Jaarsma after being replaced (left)...
...in the 5th inning; Aaron de Groot (right) takes over the pitching...

...Left: Shairon Martis took over the Pirates-pitching in the 6th inning...
...Right: Gianison Boekhoudt is forced out by 2B Sharlon Schoop in the 6th inning...

...Left: Pirates 3B Coach Allan Hazel follows the action in the 6th inning...
...Right: Neptunus 1st baseman Dudley Leonora catches a foul pop-fly in the 6th inning...

...Roelie Henrique steals 2nd base in the 7th inning and short stop John Polonius puts on the tag...
...Moments later, the two look at Umpire Peter de Haan for his decision and he gave the safe-signal...

...Left: Mike Groen pitched in relief for Amsterdam Pirates...
...Right: 2B Dwayne Kemp catches a pop-fly from Kalian Sams (7) in the 9th inning...
...Following the action are catcher Dashenko Ricardo, rightfielder Coco Johnson and 1B Dudley Leonora...

...Tom de Blok and Kevin Kelly closed the game tonight for Amsterdam Pirates and Neptunus...
(© All Photos: Robert Bos)


Curaçao Neptunus - L&D Amsterdam Pirates 7-4
RHE
L&D Amsterdam Pirates040000000-441
Curaçao Neptunus03000301X-790
pitchers Piratesinn.SOBBHRER
Rob Cordemans551633

Shairon Martis, BS (1), L (0-1)1.11413-

Mike Groen0.2111--

Tom de Blok112111

pitchers Neptunusinn.SOBBHRER
Diegomar Markwell4.124444

Aaron de Groot, W (1-0)2.142---

Kevin Kelly, SV (1)2.13----

Box Score
Play-by-Play
Final Standings Season
Standings Top-4 Pool
Standings Bottom-4 Pool
Scores
Schedule
Team Rosters
Umpires: HP-Edwin Louisa, 1B-Jeffrey Bentsnijder, 3B-Peter de Haan.
Official Scorer-Huub Nelissen.
Play-by-Play Scorer-Stefan Slinger.
Technical Commissioner-Paul Bokern.
Public Address Announcer-Hélène van Eijk-Kloos.
Scoreboard Operator-Lex Looijen.
Starting Time-7:31 PM.
Time Played-3:01 hrs.
Site-Neptunus Familiestadion, Sportpark Abraham van Stolkweg, Rotterdam.

Game Notes:
Top-4 Pool.
Weather conditions at game time:
Cloudy, 17,4° C (63,3° F); wind direction north; wind speed 5 kmh (3,1 mph); wind force 2 Bft; humidity 67%.



Thank you for visiting this site.
Mail your suggestions and questions to stoov@wxs.nl
Copyright © 1997-2020 Marco Stoovelaar / Grand Slam * Stats & News.