After three scoreless innings, DSS/Kinheim got a chance to open the score in the top of the fourth, but it was HCAW that scored first in it fourth at bat.
From that moment on, HCAW kept on scoring en route to a mercy-rule win in seven innings, which ended thanks to a 2-run, walk-off homerun.
HCAW faced Milan van der Breggen, who made his first start of the season after having made fifteen relief-appeances.
He saw the home-team get into scoring position in each of the first three at bats, but also fail to score.
In the bottom of the first inning, HCAW got its first runner in scoring position.
With one out, Victor Draijer doubled, moved to third base on a grounder, but was left behind.
In the second inning, HCAW left another runner behind on third base.
Quintin de Cuba led off with an infield-hit, but was forced out on a grounder by Jair van Borkulo.
He then advanced on a passed ball and a grounder, but also was left behind.
In the third, with two outs, Victor Draijer and Jeandro Tromp both singled, but also stranded.
Lars Huijer had another fine outing on the mound for HCAW.
The righthander retired the side in the first three innings.
After getting six consecutives grounders in the first and second inning, Huijer struckout the side in the third.
By the way, all three batters were called out on strikes!
But in the top of the fourth, he almost gave up the first run of the game to the Haarlem-opponent.
Huijer walked lead-off hitter Jason Jakobus, then gave up a bunt-single to Jesse Velders.
The two advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Koen Halderman, but Huijer then retired the next two batters.
Moments later, Huijer was supported with a 4-run rally.
However, all four runs were unearned, as the at bat began with two errors.
Later, a third and fourth error contributed to the scoring.
First, lead-off hitter Quintin de Cuba reached on a throwing error by short stop Daisuke Fukuda.
He then moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Jair van Borkulo, who also was safe himself, as first baseman Koen Halderman made an error on a throw from pitcher Milan van der Breggen.
After Van Borkulo had stolen second base, Van der Breggen struckout Jules Cremer (which could have been the third out).
The pitcher then saw De Cuba score the first run when Max Draijer reached on the third error in the at bat, this time a fielding error by second baseman Bram Blokker.
Van Borkulo and Draijer scored the next runs on respectively a grounder by Bob van der Meer and a single by Brendly Martina.
Moments later, Martina stole second base and advanced to third base when a throwing error by catcher Sem Kuijper accounted for the fourth DSS/Kinheim-error in this inning.
Three pitches later, Martina scored the fourth run on a wild pitch.
...Kevin Dirksen is greeted after hitting...
...his 2-run, walk-off homerun...
(© Photo: (Alfred Cop Fotografie) |
HCAW added another run in the fifth inning.
With Jeandro Tromp (single) and Jair van Borkulo (walk) on base, Jules Cremer delivered a runscoring single.
Hereafter, the game was interrupted for one of the wellknown sun-delays in Bussum, due to the bright setting sun behind left/centerfield.
It was a brief interruption this time, which lasted some ten minutes.
When the game resumed, two runners were left behind, but HCAW now led 5-0.
The next (unearned) run was scored in the sixth off of new pitcher Dorian Lippens when the DSS/Kinheim-defense committed two more errors.
After Bob van der Meer led off with a single, HCAW got runners on second and third base when third baseman Seb Visser made a throwing error on a grounder by Brendly Martina.
With one out, Van der Meer scored on a sacrifice fly by Jeandro Tromp.
On the throw to the plate, catcher Sem Kuijper made the sixth Haarlem-error in this game, which enabled Martina to move to third base.
HCAW then got the bases loaded when both Kevin Dirksen and Quintin de Cuba walked.
However, they all were left behind, as a line drive by next batter Jair van Borkulo was caught by second baseman Bram Blokker.
In the meantime, Lars Huijer gave up a 2-out infield-hit to Seb Visser in the top of the fifth, which was to be the second and last basehit for DSS/Kinheim.
Huijer retired the side in the sixth and seventh inning.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, HCAW led 6-0, but then reached the 10-run difference (and one extra) on two back-to-back extra basehits.
Jules Cremer led off with a single and with one out, he stole second base.
With two outs, HCAW got the bases loaded when Brendly Martina and Victor Draijer walked.
All three runners scored when Jeandro Tromp (who was 3-for-4) followed with a baseclearing, 3-run double.
Draijer then scored himself when next batter Kevin Dirksen hit a walk-off, 2-run homerun.
And that lifted the lead to 11-0 for HCAW, which made no changes in tonight's game, ending with the same ten players it had started.
By the way, DSS/Kinheim also made no changes, except bringing one reliever.
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HCAW records convincing shutout in Wild Card-opener vs. DSS/Kinheim
BUSSUM (Neth.) -
HCAW opened the best-of-three Wild Card Bottom Series on Thursday-evening (August 11) against DSS/Kinheim with an 11-0 shutout-victory in seven innings.
Last weekend, the regular season ended with the final 3-game series in the Top-4 Pool.
In the opener of that series against HCAW, L&D Amsterdam Pirates became the first team to secure a spot in the Wild Card Top Series.
Besides that, the team finished in first place to also qualify for next years European Champions Cup-tournament.
Two days later, Curaçao Neptunus finished in second place to become the second team to reach the Top Series.
HCAW finished in third place in the Top-4 Pool, Twins Oosterhout finished in fourth place.
10-minute sun-delay in bottom 5th inning with HCAW leading 5-0, 2 outs and runners on first and third base.