Before today's game, the ceremonial first pitch to open the season was thrown by 5-year old Thijmen Veerman (he turned five in May), the youngest member of HCAW.
For the third game in a row, HCAW took an early lead, but failed to hold onto it.
In the first two games, the team managed to come back and record a victory.
Today, HCAW again erased a deficit and re-took the lead, but this time, opponent Quick Amersfoort also was productive.
Like HCAW, Quick came back and took the lead again in the top of the ninth.
HCAW then came alongside in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.
But the next three innings remained scoreless and so, this game ended in the first tie of the season with a 7-7 score.
HCAW opened the score in the top of the first inning with an unearned run off of starter Colin van Laar.
Lead-off hitter Brennan Nijhof reached on an error and advanced on a single by Bob van der Meer.
With one out, the latter was forced out on a grounder by Rodney Daal, then the bases got loaded when Kevin Dirksen walked.
The first run was then scored on a single by Arthur Bonevacia.
However, HCAW left three runners behind when Van Laar closed with a strikeout.
Quick Amersfoort rallied for three runs with two outs in the top of the third inning off of starter Nick Keur.
The lefthander gave up a lead-off single to Jordy Burger, who was awarded second base moments later on a balk.
He then moved to third base on a single by Denzel Brooks, but was eliminated on a grounder towards third base by Jules Cremer.
Next, the bases got loaded when Rachid Engelhardt walked.
Keur followed by striking out powerhitter Bryan Engelhardt, but then gave up a 2-run double to Tijmen Takke, which was followed by a runscoring single from Runai Coran, which made it a 3-1 score in favor of Quick.
After giving up the run in the first inning, Quick-starter Colin van Laar did great in the next four innings.
He gave up a lead-off single to Leandro Anasagasti in the second inning, but he was eliminated in a double play.
From that moment on, Van Laar retired eleven consecutive batters.
In the sixth inning, HCAW came alongside.
Bob van der Meer led off with a walk, then Linoy Croes singled.
Hereafter, Jasper Popken took over from Van Laar.
Next batter Rodney Daal lined out, then the two runners advanced on a grounder by Kevin Dirksen.
With first base open, it was opted to set up a force play and walk Arthur Bonevacia intentionally.
But next batter Arthur Lugtmeijer connected for a 2-run single that tied the score.
In the next inning, off of new pitcher Gilian Wernet, HCAW scored three runs to take a 6-3 lead.
With one out, Wernet, who last season played for HCAW, gave up a single to Brennan Nijhof.
That led to an injury for centerfielder Runai Coran, who left the game.
Some defensive changes followed, including designated hitter Bryan Engelhardt taking over at first base, which meant that pitcher Wernet was inserted in Quick's batting order.
Next batter Bob van der Meer walked and Linoy Croes followed with a runscoring double to put HCAW ahead, 4-3.
It also led to a pitching change, as Jan-Willem Geerts took over for Wernet.
With first base open, a force play was created with an intentional walk for Rodney Daal.
Geerts followed with a strikeout, but then gave up a single to Arhur Bonevacia.
Van der Meer and Croes both scored, but Daal was eliminated at third base to end the inning.
However, at that moment second runner Croes had already scored before Daal was tagged out.
It was then Quick's turn to score again, which it did in both the eighth and ninth inning to take the lead.
Johannes Verroen Garcia took over the HCAW-pitching in the seventh.
The rookie struckout two batters and gave up one basehit, but ran into problems in the eighth.
He hit lead-off hitter Rachid Engelhardt with a pitch, gave up a single to Bryan Engelhardt and got the bases loaded when he walked Tijmen Takke.
A pitching change followed, as Jack Wagner took over from Verroen.
Wagner, who made his big league-debut, walked (pitcher) Jan-Willem Geerts.
As mentioned, the pitcher's spot had come into the batting order in the bottom of the seventh.
The walk for Geerts led to a run, as did a following force play-grounder by Taylor Clemensia.
Wagner closed with a strikeout, but Quick had narrowed the deficit to 6-5.
In the ninth, Quick again scored twice to take a 7-6 lead.
Jordy Burger and Denzel Brooks opened with singles, then an error was made on a sacrifice bunt by Jules Cremer, which loaded the bases.
Rachid Engelhardt followed with a 2-run single that put Quick ahead and brought in a new pitcher.
Bobbie Gnade took over for Wagner and retired the next three batters.
But the game was far from over, as HCAW came alongside in the bottom of the ninth.
With one out, Linoy Croes belted a homerun that made it a 7-7 score.
When next batter Rodney Daal walked, Quick went to the bullpen again.
Lefthander Jhan Rifaela took over and was supported with a double play that ended the inning and forced extra innings.
The next three innings remained scoreless.
Bobbie Gnade retired the side in the tenth and saw Quick leave a runner on first base in the eleventh and twelfth.
Jhan Rifaela also did very well.
He struckout three batters in both the tenth and eleventh inning.
In the twelfth, HCAW got a chance to win the game, as it got the bases loaded.
Linoy Croes led off with a single and stole second base.
With one out, Kevin Dirksen walked and with two outs, Arthur Lugtmeijer singled to load the bases.
But hereafter, Rifaela struckout Pascal Zegwaard, his eighth strikout-victim, and that ended the game.
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Third game between HCAW and Quick Amersfoort ends in tie
BUSSUM (Neth.) -
The finale of the 3-game series between HCAW and Quick Amersfoort on Sunday (July 26) took more than four hours and ended in a 7-7 tie after twelve innings.
In the opener on Thursday-evening, HCAW trailed in the seventh inning, then scored three runs and won 4-3.
On Saturday, HCAW trailed 5-1 after six innings.
HCAW then scored five runs in the final three innings to turn the game its way and won 6-5.
Ceremonial first pitch thrown by 5-year old Thijmen Veerman, the youngest member of HCAW.