(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Henk Seppen)
 Storks wins exhibition game against DSS/Kinheim
Nederlands
 HAARLEM (Neth.) -
Silicon Storks came from behind to record a convincing 9-4 win on Sunday (April 11) in Haarlem in its second exhibition game of the weekend against DSS/Kinheim.
On Saturday, Storks lost at home with a 9-1 score in a 5-inning game.
Two other exhibition games were also scheduled for today, but they were cancelled on Saturday-evening due to the unfavorable weather conditions.
Reigning champion L&D Amsterdam Pirates was to play an away-game at Twins Oosterhout and Hoofddorp Pioniers was to host Quick Amersfoort.
These teams also were to play against each other on Saturday, but those games also were cancelled, due to rain and field-conditions.
Coming weekend, all eight big league-teams have two exhibition games scheduled.
...Tom Stuifbergen started for DSS/Kinheim and...
...threw three strong innings...
...He last pitched in the big league in 2019...
...for L&D Amsterdam Pirates...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
On a cold afternoon in Haarlem with temperatures around six degrees Celsius (42 Fahrenheit), but with brief sunny moments, DSS/Kinheim and Storks played a 9-inning game at the historic Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem.
The home-team led 2-0 after four innings and 3-1 after five innings.
But from the sixth at bat on, Storks turned the game around.
The team from The Hague first came alongside, then scored six runs in the final two at bats.
Storks was coached today by 1B Coach Elvis Weerwind, who filled in for Head Coach Eugene Henson.
In today's game, DSS/Kinheim inserted six pitchers, Storks used five.
There were also frequent changes in both defensive positions, as well as in the batting order, as some Storks-players re-entered later in the game.
Storks played a good game and showed some solid defense.
DSS/Kinheim opened the score with one run in the bottom of the first inning off of starter Twan Naessens.
Thomas Bos led off with a walk and Jochem Koedijk singled.
The two advanced on a wild pitch, then Bos scored with one out on a grounder by Donny Kuijper.
The Haarlem-squad added a run in the second inning.
With two outs, newcomer Denzel Sandel walked and scored on a triple by Nick Hofer.
Tom Stuifbergen started for DSS/Kinheim and threw three fine innings.
Last season, the veteran righthander played in the second highest league for Onze Gezellen, but this year, he returns in the big league.
He last played in the highest league in 2019 pitching for L&D Amsterdam Pirates with whom he captured the title.
Stuifbergen faced ten batters in the three innings he pitched and gave up only one basehit.
In the first inning, he walked lead-off hitter Joshmar Doran, but he was caught stealing.
Doran is one of the newcomers in the team of Storks.
Stuifbergen then retired the side in the second inning.
After having retired seven consecutive batters, he gave up a 2-out double to Stephen Henson in the third inning, but he was left behind.
In the top of the fourth inning, Storks got two runners in scoring position off of new pitcher Rick Rizvic.
The rookie walked Kelvin Knape with one out and saw Ibrahin Redan reached on an error with two outs, which gave Storks runners at the corners.
Redan stole second base, but a grounder ended the at bat.
Storks also changed pitchers after three innings.
Darryl Jamoena took over and gave up a 2-out single to Denzel Sandel, who stole second base, but then was left behind.
In the top of the fifth, Storks scored its first run.
Jason Netten led off with a walk, advanced on a single by Joran Berkhout and later scored in a stolen base-situation.
Berkhout had re-entered the game in another spot in the batting order than he had started.
DSS/Kinheim got the run back immediately in its fifth at bat off of new pitcher Jayden Gonesh.
With one out, Jochem Koedijk walked, stole second base, then scored on a 2-out single by Milan Lammerts.
The game turned into favor of Storks from the top of the sixth inning on.
In that at bat, the team came alongside off of new pitcher Rick Timmermans.
With two outs, Ibrahin Redan doubled, then the bases got loaded when Yurdion Martie was hit by a pitch and Jason Netten walked.
Moments later, Redan and Martie scored on a single by Joran Berkhout to make it a 3-3 score.
A hit batter re-loaded the bases, but Storks left three runners behind.
In the bottom of the sixth, DSS/Kinheim was then retired in order by Jayden Gonesh.
Two new pitchers retired the side in the seventh inning.
Ben Neijndorff did it for DSS/Kinheim and newcomer Jairo Samboe faced only three batters pitching for Storks.
Both threw only one inning, but Samboe went on to become the winning pitcher.
In the top of the eighth, Storks scored twice off of new pitcher Nick Boxelaar, who is one of the players who transfered to DSS/Kinheim from Onze Gezellen after last season.
Joel Hernandez, who had re-entered in the game for Storks, led off with a single and moved into scoring position via a sacrifice bunt by Yurdion Martie.
Hernandez advanced to third base when Jason Netten flied out.
With two outs, Joran Berkhout walked and when he stole second base, Hernandez was able to score the go-ahead run.
Shortly thereafter, Berkhout also scored.
In the top of the ninth, Storks took more distance with a 4-run rally off of Bas Timmer.
Raibiëntly Mercalina, who last season played for HCAW, led off with a walk and moved to third base on a single by Roy Winkel.
Both scored on a double by Renaigel Martis, who in 2019 played for HCAW.
He was added to the Storks-roster during last season, but then didn't play.
After next batter Joel Hernandez had reached on an error, Yurdion Martie delivered a runscoring single.
The bases got loaded when Jason Netten walked and another run was added when next batter Joran Berkhout also walked.
That increased the lead to 9-3 and also ended this at bat, although there were no outs, but Timmer had reached his pitch-count.
DSS/Kinheim was held scoreless in the sixth, seventh and eighth inning.
With Storks leading 5-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Joel Martis (also new) took over the pitching from Samboe, who therefore became the pitcher-of-record.
It also meant that Martis entered the game in a save-situation.
Martis retired the side in the eighth, then gave up the fourth Haarlem-run in the ninth.
With one out, Denzel Sandel reached on a bunt-single and Nick Hofer singled.
An error on a force play-grounder by Thomas Bos loaded the bases.
Sandel then scored on a grounder by Jochem Koedijk.
Hofer and Bos stranded on third and second base when Jason Jakobus hit a comeback-grounder.
Martis fielded the ball and retired Jakobus, which ended the inning and the game and earned him a save.
(April 11)
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Exhibition game.