Amsterdam Pirates led 2-0 after three innings and although this was a small lead, the team didn't get into problems until the eighth inning.
HCAW then came alongside and struck in the tenth inning to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.
...Winning pitcher Jim Ploeger...
...10 innings, 9 strikeouts, 5 hits, 149 pitches...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
It could have been HCAW that opened the score in the top of the first inning, but two baserunning-errors led to two outs, which initially appeared to be very costly for the team.
What also could have been a costly risk for HCAW was keeping Jim Ploeger in the game as its pitcher.
Despite throwing a lot of pitches, the lefthander, who sometimes appeared to stretch both his back and his arm, was left in the game, throwing all ten innings for HCAW.
In the end, Ploeger threw 149 pitches.
He struckout nine batters and gave up only five basehits.
This season, HCAW regularly left its starting pitchers in the game despite throwing 100 (or more) pitches.
Brendly Martina led off the top of the first inning for HCAW with a single off of starter Nelmerson Angela.
Martina was bunted over to second base by next batter Victor Draijer, who reached on a bunt-single.
He bunted the ball towards third baseman Delano Selassa, who had no chance at either first or second base to make an out.
However, Martina overran second base, was unable to return back in time and was eliminated, as Selassa got the ball in time to second baseman Rachid Engelhardt who tagged out Martina.
Instead of having runners on first and second base with no outs, there was now only a runner on first base with one out.
Hereafter, HCAW got the bases loaded when Jeandro Tromp singled and Kevin Dirksen walked.
Then, the second baserunning-error followed.
Tromp went too far from second base and was picked off there by catcher Sicnarf Loopstok.
With runners on first and third base, Angela closed the at bat by striking out Quintin de Cuba.
After what could have been a productive at bat ended scoreless, Pirates opened the score moments later in its first at bat off of Jim Ploeger.
The lefthander walked the first two batters he faced, Delano Selassa and Sharlon Schoop, then gave up a runscoring single to Denzel Richardson.
Facing a quick deficit, Ploeger struckout Sicnarf Loopstok, then got two force play-grounders.
But Pirates had taken an 1-0 lead.
After the first inning, HCAW got five baserunners in the next six innings off of Nelmerson Angela, but only one got into scoring position.
The team left a runner behind on first base in the second and fourth inning (both had reached with two outs) and was retired in order in the third and fifth at bat.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Angela walked Kevin Dirksen and Quintin de Cuba, but he recovered and struckout next batter Jair van Borkulo.
HCAW got another baserunner with two outs in the seventh, but he also stranded on first base.
Pirates was retired in order in the second inning, then added an unearned run in the bottom of the third, thanks to two errors.
Delano Selassa led off for the home-team with a single.
Sharlon Schoop followed with a bunt-single.
Pitcher Jim Ploeger fielded the ball near the foul-line and while Schoop already was close to first base, he did made a throw.
However, the throw ended up in rightfield and with that, both Selassa and Schoop were able to advance an extra base.
With one out, Sicnarf Loopstok grounded towards second baseman Brendly Martina.
Selassa took off from third base, was halfway and Martina made the throw to catcher Jair van Borkulo.
And so, it appeared that Selassa would be eliminated, but Martina made a throwing error and a run was scored.
Due to the error, Schoop and Loopstok advanced to third and second base, respectively.
They were left behind, as two flyouts ended the at bat.
Despite getting into problems in the first and third inning, Jim Ploeger recovered from the fourth inning on.
In the next five at bats, the lefthander would get only three more baserunners.
With two outs in the fourth, he walked Nicola Garbella, who moved to second base via a wild pitch.
The Italian was the lone Pirates-runner to get into scoring position until the tenth inning.
Ploeger retired the side in the fifth, then was supported with a double play in the sixth.
After beginning the seventh inning with two strikeouts, Ploeger gave up a single to Delano Selassa.
Moments later, Selassa was caught stealing after a pick-off by Ploeger.
And this was a costly out for the home-team.
In the first seven innings, there were only two runs and not that many runners.
There also were eleven strikeouts, including six called strikeouts.
And at some moments in the early innings, Head Coaches Ronald Jaarsma (Pirates) and Danny Rombley (HCAW), as well as some batters, criticized the strike-zone of Home Plate Umpire Niek Elshof, who had a constant zone from the beginning.
...Jules Cremer celebrates his 2-run...
...double in the 10th inning...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
With a 2-0 lead, Martin Kram took over the Pirates-pitching in the top of the eighth for Nelmerson Angela.
The lefthander had thrown six solid innings after the first at bat, but had thrown 109 pitches and so, Pirates went to the bullpen.
With one out, Kram got the bases loaded.
After a flyout accounted for the first out, Jeandro Tromp and Kevin Dirksen both singled and Quintin de Cuba then walked.
With three runners on base, Mike Groen became the new pitcher.
He saw HCAW came alongside without giving up a basehit.
Groen hit next batter Jair van Borkulo with his fourth pitch, which brought in Tromp.
Thereafter, Jules Cremer hit a sacrifice fly and that brought in pinch-runner Linoy Croes, who ran for Dirksen.
And that made it a 2-2 score.
With runners at the corners, a flyout ended the at bat, but it had become a complete new game.
With one out in the top of the ninth, Brendly Martina singled for HCAW and stole second base with two outs, but was left behind.
In the meantime, Jim Ploeger had thrown 114 pitches in his first seven innings, but he returned to the mound in the bottom of the eighth and retired the side.
Now having thrown 127 pitches, the lefthander also returned in the ninth and retired the side again.
In the top of the tenth inning, Nicola Garbella became the new pitcher for Amsterdam Pirates.
But he ran into problems.
The Italian righthander began with a strikeout, but then gave up singles to Quintin de Cuba and Jair van Borkulo.
With runners on first and third base, Garbella gave up a 2-run double down the leftfield-line to Jules Cremer, who already had batted in the tying run in the eighth inning.
And so, HCAW took a 4-2 lead.
With first base open, Max Draijer was walked intentionally.
The latter was forced out on a grounder by Bob van der Meer.
With two outs and runners at the corners, a surprise squeeze-bunt followed from Brendly Martina.
But Garbella fielded the ball and got it in time to first base to end this at bat.
Jim Ploeger had now thrown 137 pitches in nine innings and at some moments, he clearly appeared to do some back-stretching between pitches.
But he again returned to the mound in the bottom of the tenth.
He got two quick grounders, but then also got two baserunners.
Delano Selassa walked and Sharlon Schoop was awarded first base on catcher's interference.
Next batter Denzel Richardson followed with a line drive into rightfield, but there Linoy Croes made a game-ending catch.
For HCAW, this was its second extra-inning victory in this series.
Fun-fact, for Official Scorer Marco Stoovelaar, this was his fourth consecutive extra-inning game since August 11.
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HCAW turns early deficit into extra inning Play-Off win vs. Amsterdam Pirates
AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
HCAW trailed early, came alongside, then won 4-2 in ten innings in Game 3 of the best-of-five Play-Off against L&D Amsterdam Pirates on Sunday (August 21).
On Thursday, HCAW also recorded an extra-inning victory in the opener, winning 5-0 in eleven innings.
On Saturday, Amsterdam Pirates shutout HCAW 4-0 to force at least a fourth game.
The series between HCAW and reigning champion Amsterdam Pirates continues on Saturday in Bussum.
If needed, a fifth game will follow on Sunday in Amsterdam.
Game 3 best-of-five Play-Offs Series 2.