...Starting pitchers Misja Harcksen and...
...Rob Cordemans warm up in the bull-pen...
(© Both Photos: Robert Bos) |
Neptunus started tonight with Misja Harcksen instead of one of its regular starters Orlando Yntema or Kaj Timmermans.
Yntema is recovering from a shoulder-injury, while Timmermans probably will be the starter for Game 3 coming Thursday.
For Harcksen, this was his first start this year.
In the regular season, Harcksen missed the first few weeks as he also was recovering from an injury.
He appeared in five games, all as a reliever.
In the Top-4 Pool, the righthander pitched in relief in four games.
In the top of the first inning, Amsterdam Pirates got its first batter on base as Roelie Henrique reached on an error.
He moved into scoring position when next batter Gilmer Lampe fouled out.
But Henrique stranded on second base, as Misja Harcksen then struckout Sharlon Schoop and Kalian Sams.
As was announced, veteran righthander Rob Cordemans started for Amsterdam Pirates.
He retired the first two batters, then gave up a double to Stijn van der Meer, who then advanced to third base on a bunt-single by Dwayne Kemp.
The two were left behind, as the inning ended with a grounder by Gianison Boekhoudt.
Pirates got into scoring position again in the second at bat.
With one out, Kenny Berkenbosch walked, but then Rashid Gerard struckout.
Hereafter, Misja Harcksen also walked Max Clarijs, but he then again closed with a strikeout, this time Niels van Weert.
Like Pirates, Neptunus also got into scoring position again in its second at bat and then was able to open the score.
With one out, John Polonius and Dashenko Ricardo singled which gave the home-team runners at the corners.
Polonius then scored when next batter Shaldimar Daantji also singled.
Again, Neptunus left two runners behind.
After Coco Johnson flied out, Rob Cordemans closed by striking out Benjamin Dille.
While Pirates got into scoring position in both the first and second inning, the team recorded its first basehit in the third.
With two outs, Sharlon Schoop singled, but he stranded when Kalian Sams fouled out.
...Sharlon Schoop and Dashenko Ricardo both...
...reached base five times tonight...
(© Both Photos: Robert Bos) |
After Neptunus had been retired in order in the bottom of the third, Pirates got a chance to do something back in the fourth, but failed to do so.
Denzel Richardson led off with a double.
But hereafter, a comeback-grounder by Kenny Berkenbosch ended in a double play.
Berkenbosch hit the ball back to pitcher Misja Harcksen.
Richardson (who was not forced to advance) took off too far, then was unable to return in time and was eliminated at second base.
Short stop John Polonius, who tagged out Richardson, then the ball ended up in time at first base to complete a double play.
Hereafter, Rashid Gerard singled, but Harcksen then closed his third inning with a strikeout, as Max Clarijs was his sixth victim.
After Pirates had failed to score, Neptunus answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth.
Dudley Leonora led off with a single, who then scored on an one-out double by Dashenko Ricardo.
That ended the evening for Cordemans, as Naut Kragt was inserted to relief him.
The rookie got a grounder that moved Ricardo to third base, but then ran into problems and got the bases loaded, as he walked Coco Johnson and Benjamin Dille.
But the three runners were left behind, as Stijn van der Meer flied out to Raydley Legito, who had taken third base this inning for Rashid Gerard.
Trailing 2-0, Pirates got another big scoring opportunity in the top of the fifth and this time was more successful.
Niels van Weert and Roelie Henrique (bunt) led off with singles.
An attempt to move the two runners via a sacrifice bunt failed, as Gilmer Lampe's bunt was caught by pitcher Misja Harcksen.
Hereafter, Henrique was forced out at second base on a grounder by Sharlon Schoop, which moved Van Weert to third base.
Moments later, Van Weert scored when Harcksen uncorked a wild pitch.
With Schoop on second base, next batter Kalian Sams walked.
Denzel Richardson then made up for his baserunning-blunder in the previous inning, as he delivered a runscoring single.
Schoop scored the tying run and Sams advanced to third base.
Kenny Berkenbosch followed with a line drive, but that was caught by second baseman Dudley Leonora.
That ended the inning, but the score was now tied at 2-2.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Amsterdam Pirates Head Coach Michael Duursma inserted his third pitcher, as Mike Groen took the mound.
The righthander retired the side.
He struckout Dwayne Kemp and Gianison Boekhoudt, then Dudley Leonora flied out.
In the top of the sixth, Neptunus Head Coach Ronald Jaarsma also needed to go the bullpen.
With one out, Misja Harcksen walked Max Clarijs, which brought out Jaarsma.
Aaron de Groot was summoned to the mound to take over for Harcksen.
The righthander saw Clarijs move into scoring position on a passed ball, then walked Niels van Weert.
But De Groot recovered and struckout next batter Roelie Henrique.
With runners on first and second base, Gilmer Lampe drilled the ball into deep leftfield, down the line, but there, leftfielder Dwayne Kemp made a nice running-catch to end the inning.
...Denzel Richardson batted in 3 runs for Pirates...
(© Photo: Robert Bos) |
Neptunus got its next scoring opportunity in the bottom of the sixth.
With one out, Dashenko Ricardo delivered his third basehit in the game, then moved to second base when Shaldimar Daantji also singled.
Ricardo advanced to third base when Daantji was forced out on a following grounder by Coco Johnson.
This time, it was Neptunus that left two runners behind, as a grounder by Benjamin Dille ended the at bat.
In the top of the seventh, Pirates got its lead-off hitter on base for the fourth time when Sharlon Schoop walked.
Neptunus got its first batter on base only once in the first six innings.
With Schoop on first base, both Kalian Sams and Denzel Richardson hit the ball into the outfield, but there, it was caught respectively in leftfield and rightfield.
Hereafter, it was Kenny Berkenbosch, who connected well.
He also hit the ball into deep leftfield, but his drive became a runscoring double that enabled Schoop to score all the way from first base and put Pirates ahead, 3-2.
A pitching change followed, as Kevin Kelly relieved Aaron de Groot.
He faced rookie Raydley Legito, who went after the first pitch he saw.
Legito grounded to Kelly, who then retired the batter himself at first base to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Amsterdam-reliever Mike Groen got two quick outs, but then walked pinch-hitter Quintin De Cuba and gave up a single to Dudley Leonora.
Groen then closed the inning strongly, as he struckout John Polonius.
With one out in the top of the eighth, Niels van Weert singled for Pirates, but the Neptunian defense then turned an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play on a grounder by Roelie Henrique.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Tom de Blok became the new pitcher for Pirates, but he ran into problems immediately.
The righthander walked lead-off hitter Dashenko Ricardo, then an error was made on a sacrifice bunt by Shaldimar Daantji, which gave Neptunus two baserunners.
Next, a pick-off attempt on second base ended in a throwing error from De Blok, resulting in runners on second and third base.
Moments later, Ricardo scored the tying run on a wild pitch.
De Blok then struckout Coco Johnson and was relieved by Shairon Martis.
He got two flyouts, a foulout from Gregory Muller and a flyout in centerfield from Stijn van der Meer, which ended the at bat.
But it had become a new ball game.
Again.
As the ninth inning remained scoreless, the game went into extra innings.
In the top of the 10th inning, Amsterdam Pirates got a big chance to decide the game, as it got the bases loaded with one out.
Kevin Kelly struckout lead-off hitter Kenny Berkenbosch, but then gave up singles to pinch-hitter Delano Selassa and Max Clarijs.
After the two runners had moved on a wild pitch, Kelly got the bases loaded when he walked Niels van Weert.
Neptunus then ended the threat, as it turned a 3-2-3 double play on a grounder by Roelie Henrique after he had fouled off four pitches and had raised his count to 3-2.
Amsterdam Pirates again went to the bullpen in the bottom of the tenth inning, as Donny Breek became the team's sixth pitcher tonight.
The righthander struckout lead-off hitter John Polonius, but then walked Dashenko Ricardo.
After Shaldimar Daantji flied out, Breek got the bases loaded when he also walked both Coco Johnson and Gregory Muller.
That led to another pitching change, as lefthander Nick Veltkamp was inserted.
On his third delivery, he got an inning-ending flyout from Stijn van der Meer.
...The players of Amsterdam Pirates high-five each other with the win...
(© Photo: Robert Bos) |
And so, the game continued with the eleventh inning.
Gilmer Lampe led off for Amsterdam Pirates with a double, then Sharlon Schoop walked.
The second pitch to next batter Kalian Sams ended in a passed ball that moved the runners.
With first base now open, Sams (who had a 2-0 count) was walked intentionally.
With the bases now loaded, Denzel Richardson hit the ball through the leftside of the infield for a 2-run single that put Pirates ahead, 5-3.
On the throw to the plate, Sams and Richardson advanced to third and second base respectively.
Still with no outs, a pitching change followed and Kaj Timmermans took over from Kevin Kelly.
He also got the bases loaded, as he walked Kenny Berkenbosch.
Sams then became the first out, as he was forced out at the plate on a grounder towards third base by Sebastiaan van der Horst.
However, the bases remained full and another run was then added on a single by Max Clarijs.
And that brought in the third pitcher in this inning.
Berry van Driel, who was sidelined for weeks with an arm-injury, took over.
The veteran righthander last pitched on August 6 when he left the game against DSS/Kinheim with an injury after having thrown only one pitch.
Van Driel got a comeback-grounder from Niels van Weert.
The only chance for Van Driel was to retire the batter at first base and so, Berkenbosch scored the fourth Amsterdam-run in this at bat.
Van Driel ended the rally and closed the long at bat by striking out Roelie Henrique, but Pirates had taken a 7-3 lead.
In the bottom of the 11th, Nick Veltkamp saw lead-off hitter Dwayne Kemp flyout.
The lefthander then gave up a single to Quintin De Cuba, but next batter Dudley Leonora also flied out.
Hereafter, the Amsterdam-defense didn't bother when De Cuba stole second base.
With a runner in scoring position, the inning and the game ended when John Polonius also flied out.
And so, Game 2 ended just before midnight after almost 4½ hours of playing.
Which set a new record in time!
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Amsterdam Pirates wins thrilling Game 2 of Holland Series in 11 innings
ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
L&D Amsterdam Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Holland Series against Curaçao Neptunus in a thriller on a cold Monday-evening (October 12) by winning Game 2 with a 7-3 score in eleven innings.
This game was scheduled for Saturday-afternoon in Rotterdam, but then was cancelled in the morning due to rain and field-conditions and was re-scheduled for tonight.
On Sunday, defending champion Amsterdam Pirates opened the best-of-seven with a 3-1 victory.
Game 2 best-of-seven Holland Series 2020.