...Michael Crouwel...
(© Photo: Robert Bos) |
Before the start of today's game, DSS/Kinheim honored its retiring Head Coach Michael Crouwel, as this could be the final home-game of the season for the Haarlem-team.
Which it was indeed.
Before the season began, Crouwel already announced that this would be his final season as Head Coach.
A successor is not yet known.
This was Crouwel's ninth consecutive season as coach of the main-squad of Kinheim.
In 2014 and 2015, he was the 3B Coach in the staff of Head Coach Wim Martinus, whom he succeeded after the 2015 season.
Crouwel then led the team in the next four seasons.
After the 2019 season, a closer cooperation followed between Kinheim and neighbor DSS, which resulted in a combined team from 2020 on.
Crouwel stayed on as Head Coach.
In the past, Crouwel also has been a member of the coaching-staff of the big league-teams of Amsterdam Pirates and ADO.
Pioniers took an early lead by scoring twice in the top of the first inning off of starter Bas Timmer.
The lefthander walked lead-off hitter Raul Jacobs, who moved to second base via a sacrifice bunt by Brandon Sint Jago, then scored the first run on a following double by Oliver van der Wijst Severino.
A throwing error on a grounder by Denzel Brooks brought Van der Wijst to third base and he went on to score on a sacrifice fly by Mark Smit.
DSS/Kinheim answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning off of T'sean Martina.
With one out, Jason Jakobus reached on an error, stole second base, then scored on a 2-out double by Jochem Koedijk.
Both starters threw a scoreless second inning.
Pioniers was retired in order by Timmer, but DSS/Kinheim left a runner behind on second base off of Martina.
In the next at bat, Pioniers left runners behind on first and third base.
But DSS/Kinheim scored twice in its third at bat to take a 3-2 lead.
With one out, Jason Jakobus and Koen Halderman both singled, then the bases got loaded when Jochem Koedijk walked.
Hereafter, Jakobus scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Sem Kuijper, which also led to the go-ahead run.
While Jakobus scored from third base, Halderman advanced to third base.
When a throwing error from the outfield followed, Halderman also was able to score.
Koedijk moved to second base on the error, but he was left behind.
The lead for the home-team was shortlived, as Hoofddorp Pioniers reacted with an 8-run rally in the top of the fourh inning off of two pitchers.
This was the second big rally in two days.
In Saturday's game, Pioniers scored ten runs in the second at bat.
The fourth inning began with a lead-off walk for Reangelo Willems, who was moved into scoring position via a sacrifice bunt by Jorrit Penseel.
With one out, Pioniers would score only two runs, the rest was scored with two outs.
First, Willems scored the tying run on a single by Bodhi de Vreede.
This was the first of seven basehits in this inning.
De Vreede advanced to third base on a single by Pim Vijfvinkel, then scored the go-ahead run on a bunt-single (squeeze) by next batter Raul Jacobs.
Next, Pioniers got the bases loaded when Brandon Sint Jago wallked.
Hereafter, Oliver van der Wijst Severino flied out, but as Vijfvinkel scored, it became a sacrifice fly.
The other two runners were also able to advance on the flyout and (now with two outs) they both scored on a following single by Denzel Brooks.
Three more unearned runs were added, due to two errors.
Brooks moved into scoring position when his basehit was followed by an outfield-error, then scored when a grounder by Mark Smit ended in a throwing error, which would have been the third out.
When next batter Reangelo Willems, who was the tenth batter in the inning, delivered another single, a pitching change followed.
Ben Neijndorff took over from Bas Timmer, but he was greeted with a 2-run double by Jorrit Penseel, which lifted the lead to 10-3.
After a walk for Bodhi de Vreede, Pim Vijfvinkel connected for his second basehit in the inning.
Penseel tried to score, but ended up short and was tagged out at the plate.
That ended the long at bat, which lasted 29 minutes.
Yesterday's 10-run inning took 38 minutes to complete.
...Oliver van der Wijst Severino...
...double, homerun...
...2 runs scored, 5 runs batted in...
(© Photo: Robert Bos) |
Pioniers added three more runs in the top of the fifth.
Lead-off hitter Raul Jacobs reached on an error and stole second base, then Brandon Sint Jago walked.
Both scored when next batter Oliver van der Wijst Severino hit the ball over the leftfield-fence for a 3-run homerun to give him five runs batted in today.
Pioniers now led 13-3 and thus, a mercy-rule victory came into sight.
As the team has also done in previous seasons in its final game, several of its pitchers were inserted to get an at bat.
After Van der Wijst had homered in the top of the fifth and with one out, two pinch-hit singles followed.
First, Michael Dumitrescu singled, then Koen van 't Klooster became the first pitcher to get an at bat.
He connected well on an 1-0 pitch and hit the ball into rightfield for a single in his first at bat in the highest league.
Dumitrescu and Van 't Klooster then advanced on a wild pitch, but were left behind.
DSS/Kinheim was kept scoreless from the fourth inning on.
The team got its first two batters on base in the bottom of the fifth.
Jason Jakobus led off with a walk and Koen Halderman singled.
They stranded on first and third base.
In the top of the sixth, with one out and a runner on first base, Nick Winkel was the second Pioniers-pitcher to get an at bat.
He struckout.
Pioniers scored one more run in the top of the seventh off of new pitcher Mathijs Oosterbeek.
His second pitch to lead-off hitter Denzel Brooks ended over the leftfield-fence for a homerun.
The righthander then retired the next three batters, two of them with a strikeout.
Amongst them was another pitcher.
With one out, Anthony Marlin batted for Van 't Klooster (who had become the new designated hitter).
Marlin also struckout.
Lars Broersen then pitched the bottom of the seventh inning for Pioniers.
He retired the side and closed the game with a strikeout.
With that, the 2022 season ended for both Hoofddorp Pioniers and DSS/Kinheim.
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Hoofddorp Pioniers claims fifth place after completing sweep vs. DSS/Kinheim
HAARLEM (Neth.) -
Hoofddorp Pioniers completed a 3-game sweep in its best-of-five 5th-6th Place Play-Off against DSS/Kinheim on Sunday (August 21).
After winning 9-4 and 12-8, Pioniers today won with a comfortable 14-3 score in seven innings to finish in fifth place in the Dutch big league.
Curaçao Neptunus won 10-3 against Twins Oosterhout to complete a 3-game sweep in its series.
On Thursday, the Rotterdam-team opened with a 7-2 victory.
On Saturday, Neptunus won the second game with a small 4-2 score.
Before the game, DSS/Kinheim honors Head Coach Michael Crouwel, who retires after the season.