When it became clear that the game wouldn't start at its scheduled time of 2 PM, both announced starting pitchers were removed from the starting line-ups.
As more rain was expected which could result in delays during the game, both Head Coaches opted to go with an 'opener'.
Veteran righthander Elton Koeiman's name was written down as the starter for Neptunus instead of Orlando Yntema, who would take over during the game.
For Storks, infielder Brian van der Vlist was named as starter instead of the announced Jayden Gonesh.
The start of the game was postponed several times, then was set to begin at 3:15 PM.
Shortly before that, Neptunus Head Coach Ronald Jaarsma decided to start with Yntema after all.
Van der Vlist remained listed as starting pitcher for Storks.
After the game had started at 3:20 PM, it was not interrupted by rain anymore.
Orlando Yntema threw five innings and got only three baserunners.
The righthander retired the side in the first two innings (four strikeouts).
After having retired seven batters in a row, Yntema gave up singles to Rubinet Koko and Lilthuanian catcher Kestas Vilimas.
The first advanced to third base when Joel Hernandez fouled out, but a flyout then ended the at bat.
In the fourth inning, Yntema hit lead-off hitter Luuk Visser with a pitch.
But hereafter, he struckout two of the next three batters.
Yntema retired the side again in the fifth and struckout two more batters to raise his total to eight.
His pitching colleague of Storks was less successful.
Brian van der Vlist, who never pitched in the big league before, got five baserunners in the bottom of the first inning, giving up one basehit, two runs and walking four batters.
He walked the first two batters he faced, Stijn van der Meer and Shaldimar Daantji, then gave up a runscoring single with one out to Gianison Boekhoudt.
When the single was followed by an outfield-error, Daantji also was able to score.
With two outs, Neptunus got the bases loaded when Van der Vlist also walked Dudley Leonora and John Polonius.
The inning then ended unexpectedly.
Boekhoudt left third base when the fifth pitch to next batter Darryl Collins resulted in a full count.
Boekhoudt, thinking it was ball-four, got into a rundown and was 'caught stealing'.
Neptunus rallied for five more runs in the third inning.
Dwayne Kemp led off with a single and stole second base, then moved on a single by Gianison Boekhoudt.
After the latter also had stolen second base, both scored when next batter Dashenko Ricardo doubled.
A pitching change followed, as Jayden Gonesh took over.
Gonesh, who was the announced starter, was greeted with a single by Dudley Leonora, which also led to an error, enabling Ricardo to score.
Leonora (who also stole second base) advanced to on a single by John Polonius (who then also stole second base).
Leonora and Polonius scored without the help of their teammates.
After Gonesh struckout Darryl Collins, Leonora scored moments later on a passed ball.
Gonesh then also struckout Jarreau Martina, but with two outs, a balk was called and with that Polonius was awarded home plate to score the fifth run in the inning.
Ronald Bloem became the third pitcher for Storks in the fourth inning and then gave up two more runs.
Dwayne Kemp led off with a single and scored on an one-out triple by Dashenko Ricardo.
He scored shortly thereafter on a single by Dudley Leonora.
Hereafter, John Polonius also singled, but was forced out on a grounder by Darryl Collins.
Next, the bases got loaded when Bloem hit Jarreau Martina with a pitch.
But Neptunus left three runners behind when a flyout ended the at bat.
In the ffth inning, Neptunus left two runners behind, then was retired in order in the sixth.
With Neptunus leading 9-0, Elton Koeiman took over the Neptunus-pitching in the top of the sixth.
But the 46-year old veteran got the bases loaded quickly.
The righthander gave up singles singles to Joel Hernandez, Jason Netten and Luuk Visser
However, Koeiman avoided giving up runs.
He struckout pinch-hitter Jurnest Virginie, then got an infield-fly from Joost van den Bergh and saw the inning end with a force play-grounder from Jurian Hansen.
Storks then did score in the top of the seventh.
With one out, Rubinet Koko singled and moved to third base on a 2-out double by Joel Hernandez.
Hereafter, Koko scored on a single by Jason Netten.
Hernandez also tried to score, but he was eliminated at the plate on a throw from leftfielder Darryl Collins, which ended the at bat.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Neptunus reached a 10-run difference with one out.
First, the team got the bases loaded when Stijn van der Meer led off with a walk and Coco Johnson and Dwayne Kemp followed with singles.
For Kemp, this was his fourth basehit in the game.
With one out, Van der Meer scored when Dashenko Ricardo walked.
Moments later, Johnson scored on a walk-off single by Dudley Leonora, which ended the game.
|