Amsterdam Pirates opened the score early, as lead-off hitter Gilmer Lampe connected well on the second pitch thrown by starter Luuk ter Beek in the top of the first inning.
However, it was the lone run Pirates scored in the first five innings.
With two outs in the first inning, Kalian Sams walked, but he stranded on second base.
HCAW answered with two runs of its own on four basehits with two outs in the bottom of the first inning off of Rob Cordemans.
The righthander gave up a lead-off single to Jeandro Tromp, then another one to Patrick Bok with one out.
The two runners advanced on a grounder by Arthur Bonevacia, then both scored when Rodney Daal also delivered a single.
Next batter Kevin Dirksen accounted for the fourth basehit in this inning, which then ended with a force play-grounder.
Amsterdam Pirates got an opportunity to retake the lead in the top of the second inning.
Rashid Gerard led off with a walk, as did Max Clarijs with one out.
With two outs, Gilmer Lampe singled.
Gerard tried to score, but he was eliminated at the plate on a nice throw from rightfielder Berend Ruben to catcher Leandro Anasagasti.
And that ended the at bat.
In the third inning, Pirates left a runner behind on first base, then was retired in order in the fourth.
In the fifth at bat, lead-off hitter Roelie Henrique reached on an error, but later was left behind on third base.
After giving the two runs in the first inning, Rob Cordemans retired the side in both the second and third.
Jim Ploeger then took over the Amsterdam-pitching in the fourth.
He got the bases loaded with one out.
Kevin Dirksen and Bob van der Meer singled, then no out was made on a fielder's choice-grounder by Leandro Anasagasti.
The three runners were left behind, as a foul-fly and strikeout followed.
In the fifth inning, Patrick Bok doubled for HCAW with one out, but he also was left behind.
Trailing 2-1, Pirates scored twice in the top of the sixth.
Kalian Sams and Kenny Berkenbosch opened with singles, which gave the team runners at the corners.
It also led to a pitching change, as Gio de Graauw took over from Luuk ter Beek.
He gave up a sacrifice fly to Rashid Gerard, which enabled Sams to score the tying run.
Delano Selassa followed with a single which again gave Pirates runners on first and third base.
At third, Jair van Borkulo was inserted as pinch-runner for Berkenbosch.
He went on to score the go-ahead run on a squeeze-bunt by Max Clarijs.
While De Graauw threw the ball to the plate, Van Borkulo scored and everyone was safe.
And so, Clarijs was credited with a sacrifice bunt.
An infield-fly followed and a foul-fly ended the at bat, leaving two runners behind.
In the top of the seventh inning, Pirates got the bases loaded, but was unable to add another run.
With one out, Denzel Richardson and Kalian Sams both singled.
And with two outs, Rashid Gerard reached on an error and that loaded the bases.
The inning then ended with a flyout.
HCAW left a runner behind on first base in the sixth inning, but then struck in the bottom of the seventh.
Jeandro Tromp and Berend Ruben led off with singles and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Patrick Bok.
Tromp became the second out when he got into a rundown on a grounder by Arthur Bonevacia.
With runners on first and third base, Rodney Daal delivered another important hit.
This time, he drilled the ball over the fence down the leftfield-line for a 3-run homerun.
That not only gave HCAW a 5-3 lead, it also meant that Daal had batted in all runs for his team.
Amsterdam Pirates got the bases loaded again in the top of the eighth.
Gio de Graauw struckout lead-off hitter Max Clarijs, but he then gave up a single to Roelie Henrique.
After a brief 3-minute rain-delay, he walked Gilmer Lampe.
De Graauw then also struckout Sharlon Schoop, but got the bases loaded when Denzel Richardson singled.
Next batter Kalian Sams flied out.
That ended the inning in which Amsterdam third baseman Rashid Gerard was ejected by Home Plate Umpire Efrem Silvania after making remarks from the dug-out.
In the ninth inning, Pirates got the bases loaded in the third consecutive inning, but again was unable to score.
With one out, Raydley Legito (who replaced Gerard) singled, Delano Selassa walked and Max Clarijs reached on an error.
But hereafter, Roelie Henrique grounded into a game-ending double play.
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HCAW strikes in opener vs. Amsterdam Pirates; Rob Cordemans reaches milestone
BUSSUM (Neth.) -
HCAW trailed after six innings, but then rallied in the seventh inning to win 5-3 in the series-opener against reigning champion L&D Amsterdam Pirates on Thursday-evening (August 27).
With the loss, Amsterdam's winning streak ended after nine games.
Tonight, Amsterdam Pirates trailed 2-1 after five innings, but then scored twice in the top of the sixth.
HCAW erased the deficit with a 3-run rally in the bottom of the seventh.
Despite the win, HCAW was eliminated for first place due to the win tonight by league-leader Curaçao Neptunus.
3-minute rain-delay in top 8th inning with one out, runner at first base and HCAW leading 5-3.