Neptunus got into scoring position right away in the first inning, but was held scoreless by HCAW-starter Luuk ter Beek.
Stijn van der Meer led off the game with a single and moved on a sacrifice bunt.
With two outs, Gianison Boekhoudt walked, but a force out ended the at bat.
Neptunus then opened the score in the second at bat.
The bases got loaded quickly, as the first three batters walked.
Ter Beek walked Dudley Leonora, Darryl Collins and Gregory Muller.
Hereafter, Jarreau Martina grounded into a double play, but that enabled Leonora to score the first run.
Today, Leonora played on an unfamiliar position, as he was the second baseman.
This season, he mostly played as first baseman, but last season, he also was used as short stop.
In the second game of this season, he briefly played at third base.
Last Sunday, Leonora also started as second baseman for Neptunus, then played in leftfield in the last four innings.
Dwayne Kemp is the regular second baseman for Neptunus, but he didn't play today.
The last time that Kemp didn't play was on June 17, 2018.
In the third through fifth inning, Neptunus got only one baserunner off of Ter Beek.
With two outs in the third, Gianison Boekhoudt singled, but he stranded on first base.
Hereafter, Ter Beek retired the next batters in a row.
But in the top of the sixth, Neptunus doubled its lead.
John Polonius led off with a single and moved on a wild pitch.
With first base open, Boekhoudt was walked intentionally.
Two flyouts followed, but Polonius then scored on a single by Darryl Collins.
Neptunus-starter Diegomar Markwell threw six solid innings.
The lefthander retired the first nine batters he faced.
He then gave up a lead-off single to Jeandro Tromp in the fourth, but was supported with a double play.
With two outs, Berend Ruben walked and Arthur Bonevacia doubled, but they were left behind.
In the fifth, with one out, HCAW again got two baserunners, as Leanodro Anasagasti and Railiëntly Mercalina both singled.
Again, the Neptunus-defense turned a double play.
With two outs in the sixth, Berend Ruben singled for the home-team, but he was eliminated at second base trying to stretch it into a double.
Leading only 2-0, Neptunus decided the game in the final three at bats.
The Rotterdam-team scored two more runs in the top of the seventh.
Jarreau Martina led off with a double, then a throwing error was made on a grounder by Stijn van der Meer, which led to runners at the corners.
Moments later, Martina scored on a single by Benjamin Dille, which led to a pitching change.
Gio de Graauw took over and he got a double play-grounder from John Polonius, but that also enabled Van der Meer to score.
Trailing 4-0, HCAW got four baserunners without a basehit off of reliever Aaron de Groot in the bottom of the seventh, but was unable to score.
De Groot hit lead-off hitter Arthur Bonevacia, then walked Kevin Dirksen.
Next batter Rodney Daal followed with a line drive, but that was caught by first baseman Benjamin Dille, who got the ball in time on second base to double up Bonevacia.
Hereafter, Leandro Anasagasti walked, but he was forced out on a grounder by Railiëntly Mercalina.
After being retired in order in the eighth inning, Neptunus score two more runs in the ninth off of De Graauw.
Gregory Muller and Jarreau Martina began with singles and advanced on a grounder by Van der Meer.
They respectively scored on a sacrifice fly by Benjamin Dille and an error on a grounder by John Polonius.
De Groot then retired the side in the eighth and ninth inning.
As he threw the final three innings with his team leading, De Groot earned his first save of the season.
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Neptunus decides shutout vs. HCAW late
BUSSUM (Neth.) -
Curaçao Neptunus shutout HCAW 6-0 on Saturday (August 15) in what has become the opening game of their 3-game series.
The original opener on Thursday-evening was cancelled due to rain and is re-scheduled for Tuesday-evening.
This game was scheduled for Saturday, September 5 in the original schedule, but was annulled on July 2 by the KNBSB when it announced the new schedule after measures against the coronavirus (COVID-19) were eased.