While it drizzled somewhat before the game, it went underway on time.
Six scoreless innings with good pitching followed, then Neptunus rallied for three runs in the seventh inning to decide the outcome.
HCAW-starter Luuk ter Beek had a strong outing today.
The righthander allowed only two batters reach base in the first six innings and only of them got into scoring position.
Ter Beek initially was the starting pitcher in last Thursday's opener.
He then retired the side in the first inning and had two runners on base in the second at bat when the game was halted after a foul ball destroyed a lamp in a light-tower.
The game was to resume on Friday, but then rained out.
However, when the game would have continued on Friday, not Ter Beek, but Dennis Burgersdijk was to be the pitcher then.
Today, Ter Beek gave up a lead-off double to Stijn van der Meer in the top of the first inning.
At that moment, it appeared that Neptunus might record a quick opening run, but that didn't happen.
Instead, Van der Meer was the lone runner in scoring position for Neptunus in the first six innings.
And Ter Beek retired 18 of the next 19 batters!
With Van der Meer on second base, John Polonius bunted.
The runner was unable to advance and Polonius was retired.
A strikeout and groundout ended the inning.
After two pop-flies accounted for the first two outs in the second at bat, Gregory Muller reached on an infield-hit for Neptunus.
He stranded on first base, as third baseman Kevin Dirksen caught a line drive from Shaldimar Daantji.
From that moment on, Luuk ter Beek retired 13 batters in a row.
He got good defensive support, which included two more line drives that were caught.
In the fourth, short stop Bob van der Meer caught a line drive from Dudley Leonora and in the fifth, Dirksen caught another line drive, this hit by Dashenko Ricardo.
HCAW left a runner behind on first base in its first at bat.
With two outs, Patrick Bok walked, but hereafter, Neptunus-starter Orlando Yntema closed with a strikeout.
In the bottom of the second, HCAW got a chance to open the score.
The team got the bases loaded with two outs, as Orlando Yntema struggled with his control.
While he didn't gave up a basehit, he issued three more free passes.
The righthander walked lead-off hitter Rodney Daal.
With two outs, he hit Bob van der Meer with a pitch, then walked Pascal Zegwaard to load the bases, but he avoided giving up a run.
Yntema needed a lot of pitches this inning.
Up to this moment, he had thrown 20 (only nine strikes) in this at bat, but nevertheless next batter Jeandro Tromp opted to hit on the first pitch he saw.
Tromp grounded out and that ended the at bat, meaning three runners were left behind.
Yntema didn't return to the mound in the third inning.
Afterwards, it was stated that he had arm-injury, which had bothered him already for some time.
Misja Harcksen took over and completed the game.
The righthander retired the side in the third, then got two baserunners in the fourth.
With one out, Kevin Dirksen singled, but he was forced out on a grounder by Christopher Ge, who stranded on first base.
In the fifth, Harcksen gave up a 2-out single to Berend Ruben, who then stole second base, but was left there.
Ruben was the final HCAW-runner to get into scoring position.
Neptunus then struck with three runs off of Luuk ter Beek with two outs in the top of the seventh.
In the first six innings, Ter Beek gave up only two basehits, in this at bat, he gave up four.
He gave up a lead-off single to Dwayne Kemp.
Two groundouts followed.
That moved Kemp to third base and he then scored when Ter Beek threw a wild pitch.
Hereafter, Dashenko Ricardo singled.
Following some remarks from the HCAW dug-out, next batter Gregory Muller drilled the second delivery of Ter Beek over the fence in leftfield for a 2-run homerun that gave Neptunus two insurance runs and secured the win.
Another single followed, hit by Shaldimar Daantji, but he stranded on first base.
Gio de Graauw took over the HCAW-pitching in the eighth inning.
He walked lead-off hitter Stijn van der Meer, but then was supported with a double play.
In the top of the ninth, Neptunus appeared to to score another run, but that was annulled.
Gianison Boekhoudt led off with a walk, then advanced on an one-out single by Dashenko Ricardo.
After an infield-fly accounted for the second out, Shaldimar Daantji hit the ball into centerfield for a single.
Boekhoudt advanced to third base and continued towards the plate.
In the meantime, Ricardo had moved to second base, but overran it.
Centerfielder Jeandro Tromp got the ball in time to second baseman Christopher Ge, who tagged out Ricardo, while Boekhoudt was crossing home plate.
The run didn't count, as it was determined that Ricardo was tagged out before Boekhoudt had touched home plate.
And so, the inning ended without a run.
In its last four innings, HCAW got only one baserunner.
Misja Harcksen retired the side in the sixth, then walked Pascal Zegwaard with two outs in the seventh.
He was left behind and Harcksen retired the next seven batters in a row to end the game.
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Neptunus scores late to record small shutout-win vs. HCAW
BUSSUM (Neth.) -
Curaçao Neptunus recorded a small 3-0 shutout-victory against HCAW on Sunday (September 27) in the first game that could be completed between the teams, who are currently in first and second place in the Top-4 Pool.
On Thursday-evening, the opening game was delayed in the top of the second inning in Bussum when a foul ball destroyed a lamp in a light-tower.
Due to debris on the field, the game was halted.
It was to resume on Friday-evening at the site of Neptunus, but then was cancelled due to rain and field-conditions.
The game will now resume coming Monday-evening in Bussum.
Top-4 Pool.