Hoofddorp Pioniers got a runner on third base in the top of the first inning off of starter Rob Cordemans, but was held scoreless.
Mark Smit led off with a single, stole second base, then moved to third on an one-out single by Max Draijer.
Hereafter, Cordemans struckout his first batter, then a pop-fly ended the at bat.
In its first at bat off of Yassir Lachkar, Amsterdam Pirates got on the board quickly.
The righthander walked Roelie Henrique and Gilmer Lampe, then gave up a runscoring single to Denzel Richardson.
Next batter Kalian Sams drilled the ball over the centerfield-fence for a 3-run homerun, which gave Pirates a 4-0 lead.
After a flyout accounted for the first out, Delano Selassa singled and that led to an early pitching change.
Rookie Matthijs Oosterbeek took over.
He saw Selassa being caught stealing, then a grounder closed the inning.
In the top of the second, Jorrit Penseel singled for Pioniers with two outs, but Rob Cordemans closed with his second strikeout.
Moments later, Pirates added three more runs, which also were scored thanks to the long ball.
Lead-off hitter Niels van Weert was hit by a pitch, then Matthijs Oosterbeek followed with a strikeout.
Roelie Henrique then walked and Gilmer Lampe followed with a 3-run homerun.
And that lifted the lead to 7-0.
Instead of taking more distance, Pirates was held scoreless in the next three innings by a pitcher who not really is a pitcher.
In the bottom of the third inning, Nathan Berkel, who is an outfielder, took the mound for Pioniers.
Berkel threw two innings in the regular season and so, this was his second appearance on the mound in the abbreviated 2020 season.
And he did fine in his first three innings.
With one out in the third, Berkel gave up a single to Delano Selassa, but he was forced out on a grounder by Rashid Gerard.
A walk for Niels van Weert followed, but a pop-fly ended the at bat.
In the fourth inning, Berkel walked lead-off hitter Roelie Henrique, but then was supported with a double play.
Berkel encountered some problems in the fifth when he got the bases loaded with one out, but managed to give up no runs.
With one out, Berkel walked Kenny Berkenbosch, gave up a single to Delano Selassa (his third in this game) and also walked Rashid Gerard, but then retired the next two batters.
Pioniers got three baserunners in its third, fourth and fifth at bat.
With one out in the third, Victor Draijer singled and Max Draijer walked, but they were left behind.
In the fourth, Reangelo Willems singled with one out, but stranded on first base.
In the fifth, Shairon Martis took over the Amsterdam-pitching and retired the side.
As Rob Cordemans didn't throw the required five complete innings to become eligible for the win, Martis was credited with the win in tonight's game.
In the top of the sixth, Pioniers scored what would be its lone run, but also left the bases loaded off of new pitcher Donny Breek.
The righthander got two quick outs, but then got the bases loaded when he gave up a single to Tyler Boersma, then walked Reangelo Willems and Jorrit Penseel.
Breek then uncorked a wild pitch, which enabled Boersma to score.
The bases got loaded again when Jaison Gijsbertha received the third consecutive walk.
But herafter, Breek closed with a strikeout.
In the bottom of the sixth, Amsterdam Pirates rallied for six runs to take a commanding lead.
With one out, the home-team got the bases loaded when Gilmer Lampe walked, Denzel Richardson singled and Kalian Sams also walked.
That ended the stay on the mound for Nathan Berkel, who was relieved by Sander Helmendach.
For the righthander, this was his first appearance since August 25 when he threw 1/3 inning against Silicon Storks.
Helmendach threw only three innings in five relief-appearances in the regular season and tonight, he was on the mound for the first time in the Top-4 Pool.
Helmendach was greeted with a 2-run single by Kenny Berkenbosch.
Hereafter, Delano Selassa hit a pop-fly into short rightfield near the line.
As the ball appeared to be catchable, Berkenbosch was halfway.
The ball dropped and Berkenbosch was forced out at second base by rightfielder Victor Draijer.
The bases then got loaded again when Rashid Gerard walked.
Pinch-hitter Raydley Legito then delivered a runscoring single and pinch-hitter Jair van Borkulo added a 2-run single.
In his second at bat in the inning, Roelie Henrique singled in the sixth run, which raised the lead to 13-1.
In the top of the seventh, Victor Draijer led off and flied out.
Hereafter, Tom de Blok was inserted as new pitcher.
He began with a strikeout, then a grounder ended the inning.
And that also ended the game via the 10-run difference mercy-rule.
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Amsterdam Pirates returns to action and wins convincingly vs. Hoofddorp Pioniers
AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
Reigning champion L&D Amsterdam Pirates returned to action on Thursday-evening (September 24) and recorded a convincing 13-1 win in 6½ inning in the opener of a 3-game series against Hoofddorp Pioniers.
In the past two weeks, at the request of Amsterdam Pirates, the team didn't play due to three positive cases of the coronavirus within the team.
Therefore, the second and third game against Curaçao Neptunus (September 12-13) and the complete 3-game series against HCAW (September 17-20) were postponed.
Pirates played its last game on Thursday, September 10, which was the opener of a 3-game series against Neptunus.
Top-4 Pool.