...Umpire Jeroen Rekveld...
(© Photo: Robert Bos) |
Hoofddorp Pioniers-starter T'sean Martina retired the side in the top of the first inning.
The righthander got a flyout and a groundout, then saw Koen Halderman fly out to foul territory in rightfield.
After having caught the ball, rightfielder Bodhi de Vreede threw the ball back to the infield, as the at bat had ended.
However, the ball found 1B Umpire Jeroen Rekveld in its way.
After the ball was caught, Rekveld turned around to return to his spot behind first base, but was hit on his head (and his glasses) by the ball.
The umpire was attended (concussion-protocol) and a 32-minute delay followed to see whether or not Rekveld was able to continue.
Luckily, Rekveld returned to the field after being treated by medical personnel of both teams and so, the game continued.
In case Rekveld would not have been able to complete the game, Home Plate Umpire John Beltman would have been the lone umpire in this game.
According to the rules, a game cannot be played with only one umpire and therefore, it would have been suspended to be completed on another date.
It didn't come that far, but the delay could have lengthened the game.
In the best-of-series in the postseason, there is no curfew-rule.
With that, games will not be stopped when the 10:30 PM curfew-time has been reached, as is the case in the regular season.
Also, in best-of-series, there has to be a winner, so a game can go beyond the twelve innings when needed and ties are not possible.
But despite the delay, the game was quick-paced when it resumed and was completed around 10:40 PM.
In the bottom of the first inning, it was Pioniers that got a runner into scoring position first off DSS/Kinheim-starter Martijn Schoonderwoerd.
With two outs, Reangelo Willems doubled, but he stranded on second base.
Pioniers also got a baserunner in the second at bat when Pim Vijfvinkel singled with one out.
Schoonderwoerd followed with two strikeouts and retired the side in the top of the third inning.
The righthander added three more strikeouts in the fourth, to raise his total to six.
Despite the 30-plus minutes delay in the first inning, Pioniers-starter T'sean Martina kept on throwing strongly for the home-team.
The righthander retired the again in the second, third, fourth and fifth inning.
Martina led his defense doing the work, as he struckout only two of the fifteen batters he had faced since the first inning.
Martina was supported with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Lead-off hitter Bodhi de Vreede struckout, but reached first base on a wild pitch by Martijn Schoonderwoerd.
He was brought to second base via a sacrifice bunt by Jorrit Penseel, then scored on a following single by Joost van den Bergh.
The latter also moved into scoring position thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Raul Jacobs, but then was left behind.
In the top of the sixth inning, T'sean Martina's Perfect Game ended.
After having retired sixteen batters in a row, he gave up a single (with one out) to Mees Robberse.
Moments later, Robberse was caught stealing after a pick-off from the catcher.
DSS/Kinheim got two baserunners for the first time this game in the top of the seventh inning and thus, the team also got into scoring position for the first time.
Jason Jakobus led off with a single and reached second base via a sac-bunt by Jesse Velders.
Next batter Koen Halderman walked.
But the two runners were left behind when two flyouts followed.
Hoofddorp Pioniers got the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the seventh and added two insurance runs.
Lead-off hitter Pim Vijfvinkel reached on an error and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Bodhi de Vreede.
Thereafter, the home-team got the bases loaded when Jorrit Penseel and Joost van den Bergh both walked.
That brought DSS/Kinheim's Head Coach Michael Crouwel out of the dug-out to make a pitching-change.
Lefthander Rick Rizvić took over from Martijn Schoonderwoerd, who had had a good outing.
Pioniers doubled its lead when a possible double-play grounder by Raul Jacobs only resulted in a force out at second base.
On the grounder, Vijfvinkel scored to provide Pioniers with its second run.
Hereafter, rookie Michael Dumitrescu delivered a runscoring single to make it a 3-0 score.
But the win was not sealed yet, as DSS/Kinheim got a chance to do something back in the top of the eighth.
Japanese infielder Daisuke Fukuda led off with an infield-hit, then Mees Robberse singled with one out.
That ended the evening for T'sean Martina, who had done very well in the first seven innings.
Daniël Vos took over and avoided giving up runs.
First, Fukuda and Robberse advanced on a grounder, but Vos then closed with a strikeout.
Pioniers then added another (unearned) run in the bottom of the eighth inning.
With two outs, Pim Vijfvinkel walked.
He reached second base safely when an error was made on a force play-grounder.
Next, Vijfvinkel scored on a single by Jorrit Penseel.
Pioniers got the bases loaded when next batter Joost van den Bergh also singled.
The three runners were left behind, as a grounder ended the at bat, but the home-team now led 4-0.
DSS/Kinheim then scored its lone run tonight in the top of the ninth inning off of Daniël Vos.
Jesse Velders led off with a double, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a grounder by Koen Halderman.
That was to be it for the Haarlem-team and Vos earned his first save of the season.
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Hoofddorp Pioniers opens Wild Card Qualifier vs. DSS/Kinheim with win
HOOFDDORP (Neth.) -
Hoofddorp Pioniers opened the best-of-three Wild Card Qualifier against DSS/Kinheim on Thursday-evening (August 4) with a 4-1 victory.
The teams meet again on Saturday in Haarlem.
When needed, the third game will be played on Sunday in Hoofddorp.
Both Pioniers and DSS/Kinheim will advance to the Wild Card Bottom Series, but this series is to decide whom they will face in the next best-of-three, which opens on August 11.
The teams that finish in first and second place of the Top-4 Pool will face each other in the Wild Card Top Series.
The teams that finish in third and fourth place will go to the Wild Card Bottom Series.
The Wild Card Qualifier will determine whom they will face.
32-minute injury-delay after completion top 1st inning when 1B Umpire Jeroen Rekveld was hit on his head by a ball.