...Kalian Sams hit a grand slam homerun...
...in the 8th inning for Amsterdam Pirates...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Amsterdam Pirates got a chance to open the score in the top of the first inning, but instead left three runners behind.
With two outs, Neptunus-starter Diegomar Markwell walked Gilmer Lampe, then gave up a single to Denzel Richardson.
The lefthander then got the bases loaded when he also walked Kalian Sams.
Markwell then escaped the jam when third baseman Stijn van der Meer caught a line drive hit by Kenny Berkenbosch, which ended the at bat.
In the bottom of the first inning, Neptunus scored off of Amsterdam-starter Rob Cordemans.
John Polonius led off with a single in his first big league-at bat, then stole second base with one out.
With two outs, Polonius scored on a double by Gianison Boekhoudt.
In the top of the third, Pirates got its next runner in scoring position.
With two outs, Denzel Richardson doubled and Kalian Sams walked, but a flyout ended the inning.
Pirates then came alongside in the fourth, but stranded two more runners in scoring position.
Rashid Gerard led off with a single and Niels van Weert followed with a double.
With one out, the bases got loaded when Markwell walked Roelie Henrique.
Hereafter, Gerard scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Delano Selassa, but Van Weert and Henrique were left behind on second and third base.
In the top of the fifth, Amsterdam Pirates took the lead by scoring twice off of new pitcher Aaron de Groot.
With one out, Kalian Sams reached on an error and Kenny Berkenbosch singled.
With runners at the corners, Pirates scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
After Rashid Gerard had walked, the visitors scored another run on a single by Niels van Weert.
The inning ended with a double play, but Pirates now led 3-1 and hold onto the lead.
Another run was added in the sixth.
Roelie Henrique led off with a walk.
Berry van Driel then took over the pitching for Neptunus.
He got a flyout, but then gave up an RBI-double to Gilmer Lampe.
In the meantime, Neptunus was silenced and held scoreless by the Pirates-pitching.
After giving up the run in the first inning, Pirates-starter Rob Cordemans allowed only two batters to reach base in the next three at bats.
The veteran retired the side in the second, then walked John Polonius in the third, but he stranded on first base.
Cordemans walked lead-off hitter Gianison Boekhoudt in the fourth, but with one out, the Amsterdam-defense turned a double play.
Cordemans struckout the first two batters in the bottom of the fifth.
With Pirates leading 3-1, he needed only 1/3 inning to pitch to become the pitcher-of-record in case his team would hold onto the lead in the remainder of the game.
When he would have been credited with the win, he was to become the first pitcher in history with 200 wins.
However, with two outs, Jarreau Martina hit a hard comeback-grounder that hit Cordemans on his elbow.
Martina reached on an infield-hit and out of precaution, Cordemans left the game.
He was relieved by rookie Naut Kragt, who made his big league-debut.
Kragt walked John Polonius, which ended in a wild pitch.
But with runners on first and third base, a grounder ended the inning.
In the sixth, Kragt gave up singles to Dwayne Kemp (lead-off) and Dashenko Ricardo (with one out), but another inning-ending double play followed.
Jiorgeny Casimiri became the fourth pitcher for Neptunus in the seventh inning.
He saw Pirates score four runs in the eighth, which gave the team a comfortable lead.
Roelie Henrique led off with a walk and Delano Selassa singled.
With one out, Amsterdam got the bases loaded when Denzel Richardson (who was 4-for-5) also singled.
Hereafter, powerhitter Kalian Sams drilled the ball down the line into deep leftfield for a towering grand slam homerun that lifted the lead to 8-1.
Naut Kragt retired the side in the seventh, but then came in some problems in the eighth.
With one out, he walked Gregory Muller and gave up a single to Dwayne Kemp.
Kragt followed with a strikeout, but with two outs, debuting Amsterdam Head Coach Michael Duursma decided to make a pitching change.
Former Major League-pitcher Shairon Martis took over the pitching to make his Dutch big league-debut.
He gave up a 2-run single to Dashenko Ricardo, which narrowed the deficit to 8-3, but that was to be it for Neptunus.
In the bottom of the eighth, Raydley Legito made his debut in the highest league, playing second base for Pirates against the team where his father Raily Legito celebrated many successes.
After completion of the eighth inning, the 10:30 PM curfew had been reached and with that, the game ended.
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Amsterdam Pirates wins season-opener; Sams hits grand slam homerun
ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Reigning champion L&D Amsterdam Pirates opened the 2020 regular season on Thursday-evening (July 23) with an 8-3 win against Curaçao Neptunus.
Due to the 10:30 curfew-rule, the game ended after eight complete innings.
At Rotterdam, the two finalists of last season faced each other in the opening game.
In the best-of-seven Holland Series last year, Neptunus won the first three games, but Amsterdam Pirates then became the first team in history to win the next four games and capture the Championship-title.
Naut Kragt, Raydley Legito, Shairon Martis (all Amsterdam Pirates) and John Polonius (Neptunus) make their debut in the Dutch big League.