Amsterdam Pirates broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning, took more distance in the next at bat and from there, the team was in control of its final game in the regular season.
A game that saw 23 different offensive or defensive changes by the two teams combined.
Two lefthanded pitchers started in this game, which was the last of the series between Amsterdam Pirates and HCAW.
Both teams changed their original rotation for this series.
Scott Prins was to be the starter for Pirates in the opener on Thursday, but he switched with Game 2-starter Shairon Martis.
Prins now started on Saturday.
HCAW was to start Game 2 on Saturday with Gio de Graauw, but instead sent Sunday's starter Dennis Burgersdijk to the mound.
Today, Jim Ploeger started for HCAW.
He was initially not announced as a starter for this series.
De Graauw didn't start, but today threw in relief.
...Winning pitcher Nelmerson Angela...
...On the photo, he pitches for Curaçao during...
...this years Baseball Week Haarlem...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Ploeger retired the side in the first (two strikeouts), second and third inning.
After having retired nine batters in a row, the lefthander gave up a lead-off single to Rachid Engelhardt in the top of the fourth.
He appeared to be eliminated on a line drive grounder by Delano Selassa, which was picked up nicely by rookie third baseman Thomas Maathuis, but the then made a throwing error and everyone was safe.
Ploeger then faced Denzel Richardson and appeared to stretch his back somewhat while standing behind the mound, before throwing his first pitch.
With an 1-2 count, Ploeger's next delivery ended in a passed ball, enabling both runners to move to second and third base.
Richardson fouled off the next pitch and after having completed his wind-up, Ploeger walked towards the side of the mound, bent over and felt his right hip.
Head Coach Danny Rombley came out of the dug-out and immediately took Ploeger out of the game.
A week ago, Ploeger also was relieved after having thrown the first three innings against Curaçao Neptunus.
Gio de Graauw took over, got to a full count, but then struckout Richardson.
As he took over with a 2-2 count, De Graauw was credited with the strikeout.
However, thereafter, the righthander gave up a runscoring single to Sharlon Schoop, then a sacrifice fly to Sicnarf Loopstok, which produced two runs.
De Graauw closed by striking out Kalian Sams, but Pirates had opened the score.
In the top of the fifth, Pirates took more distance with a 4-run rally.
Kenny Berkenbosch led off with a double, then the bases got loaded when Emilson Haswell and Roelie Henrique both walked.
Nicola Garbella followed with a sacrifice fly, then another run was scored on a single by Delano Selassa.
With one out, Sharlon Schoop added a 2-run double to lift the lead to 6-0.
Hereafter, Ruben Dekker took over the HCAW-pitching and got an inning-ending flyout.
HCAW was held scoreless by Pirates-starter Nelmerson Angela, who threw five solid innings.
The lefthander struckout four batters, gave up only three hits and won his sixth game of the season, his first with Amsterdam Pirates.
Last month, Angela pitched for Curaçao during the 30th edition of the international Baseball Week Haarlem in Haarlem (Netherlands).
HCAW got two runners on base off of Angela in the bottom of the first inning.
Nathan Berkel led off with an infield-hit and Jair van Borkulo singled with two outs.
Linoy Croes followed with a line drive, but that was caught by first baseman Kenny Berkenbosch.
HCAW was retired in order in the next two innings, but got a runner on third base in the fourth.
Kevin Dirksen led off with a walk and Van Borkulo singled.
The latter was forced out on a grounder by Linoy Croes.
But with runners at the corners, Angela struckout Jair Bogaerts, then got an inning-ending flyout from Thomas Maathuis.
Angela retired the side again in the fifth.
With a 6-0 lead, a new battery entered the game for Pirates in the bottom of the sixth.
Connor Prins took over the pitching and Luca Pastor became the new catcher.
With one out, HCAW got the bases loaded when Kevin Dirksen and Jair van Borkulo both singled and Linoy Croes walked.
The first two scored when Prins also walked Jair Bogaerts and Thomas Maathuis.
With the bases still loaded, rookie Luca van Gorkum was inserted as new pitcher.
He got a foul-fly and a flyout, which ended the at bat and for HCAW, these would the lone two runs scored in this game.
Amsterdam Pirates immediately answered with two runs of its own in the top of the seventh off of new pitcher Arjen Nijkamp.
He began by walking Nicola Garbella and Delano Selassa.
With two runners on base, Ilyas van den Bos was inserted as pinch-hitter for Denzel Richardson to make his big league-debut.
The rookie flied out on the second pittch he saw.
Now with one out, Pirates got the bases loaded when next batter Sharlon Schoop also walked.
Luca Pastor followed with a 2-run single and that made it an 8-2 score.
HCAW got a chance to do something back in the bottom of the seventh inning, but left three runners behind.
Nathan Berkel led off with a walk and with two outs, HCAW got the bases loaded when Jair van Borkulo and Linoy Croes also walked.
The inning ended when next batter Jair Bogaerts hit a force play-grounder on the second pitch he saw from Luca van Gorkum.
In the eighth inning, Jelle van der Lelie became the new pitcher for Pirates and got one baserunner.
In the top of the ninth, Pirates got two more baserunners.
With one out, Delano Selasssa singled, then Ilyas van den Bos recorded his first big league-basehit.
But a force out and groundout followed.
Van der Lelie then retired the side in the ninth to seal the win.
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League-leader Amsterdam Pirates closes regular season with win vs. HCAW
BUSSUM (Neth.) -
L&D Amsterdam Pirates ended the regular season with a convincing 8-2 victory on Sunday (August 7) against HCAW.
With that, the second part of the season (Top-4 Pool) also ended.
On Saturday, HCAW won 7-3, but finished in third place, as Curaçao Neptunus also won to take possession of second place and also advance to the Top Series and the Play-Offs.
Ilyas van den Bos (Amsterdam Pirates) makes his debut in the Dutch big league.