Righthanded pitcher Kaj Timmermans came close to history tonight.
In a game he wasn't suppose to start.
Initially, righthander Lars Huijer was announced as starting pitcher for the opening-game on Thursday-evening.
When that game rained and was moved to tonight, HCAW also switched starters.
Huijer moved to Game 2 on Saturday and Saturday's announced starter Timmermans moved to tonight.
And so, Timmermans made his comeback on the mound for HCAW after a 3-year absence.
In the past three seasons, he played for Neptunus.
Tonight, Timmermans pitched in his first regular season-game for HCAW since July 27, 2019 when he was the losing pitcher in a 13-4 loss against Twins Oosterhout.
Only two players from that game also played for HCAW tonight, short stop Bob van der Meer and centerfielder Jeandro Tromp.
Thereafter, Timmermans made one more appearance for HCAW in the best-of-five Play-Offs against Amsterdam Pirates.
He then was the losing pitcher in Game 2 in a 3-0 shutout-loss.
HCAW was swept, Pirates advanced to the Holland Series and captured the Championship-title.
From that game, there were seven players in tonight's game.
The already mentioned Van der Meer and Tromp for HCAW and Kenny Berkenbosch, Roelie Henrique and Denzel Richardson for Pirates.
Delano Selassa then played for Pirates and tonight for HCAW.
Oliver van der Wijst Severino then played for HCAW and tonight for Pirates.
There was more in tonight's game.
Pirates' new Head Coach Mervin Gario and HCAW's new 3B Coach Theo Geerman both worked together in the same
position the last five seasons when they were at Hoofddorp Pioniers.
And current Pirates Bench Coach Roeland Henrique was the 3B Coach at HCAW last season.
Besides that, it also was a who-is-who, as there are many new faces in the team of Pirates.
As mentioned, Kaj Timmermans almost wrote some history tonight, as he took a No-Hitter into the eighth inning.
But the No-Hitter ended when Kenny Berkenbosch hit the ball into leftfield with one out for a single.
In the history of the Dutch big league, only one No-Hitter has been thrown on Opening Day.
On April 28, 1984, it was Bart Volkerijk of ADO, who threw a 9-inning No-Hitter against Giants Diemen.
After tonight, almost 40 years later, that still remains the lone Opening Day No-Hitter.
On the other hand, Pirates-starter Sven van de Sanden also kept HCAW scoreless for more than five innings.
The Bussum-team then rallied for five runs in the bottom of the sixth and that was all it needed.
With one out in the first inning, Victor Draijer en Jeandro Tromp both singled for HCAW, but a double play followed.
HCAW got its next runner in scoring position in the third inning.
With one out, Brendly Martina singled and stole second base.
Victor Draijer then walked and when he was forced out on a grounder by Jeandro Tromp, Martina moved to third base, but then was left behind.
In the fourth and fifth inning, Van de Sanden was suppported with two more double plays.
HCAW then broke open the game in the sixth inning.
Victor Draijer led off with a walk and moved on a sacrifice bunt by Jeandro Tromp.
He then advanced to third on a single by Delano Selassa, who stole second base moments later.
With first base open, Quintin de Cuba was walked intentionally to create a force play.
HCAW then scored the first when Van de Sanden walked Kevin Dirksen and that led to a piching change.
Finn Kragt took over, but was greeted with a runscoring single by Shurman Marlin.
With the bases still loaded, De Cuba was forced out at the plate on a grounder by Bob van der Meer.
Thereafter, with two outs, the bases were cleared when Julian Goins connected for a 3-run double which made it a 5-0 score.
In the seventh, HCAW stranded a runner at second base.
And in the eighth, the Pirates-defense turned its fourth double play of the evening.
Pirates got its first baserunner in the top of the second inning.
With one out, Kenny Berkenbosch walked, but then it was the HCAW-defense that turned a double play.
Berkenbosch would remain the lone Amsterdam-runner until the eighth inning.
As Kaj Timmermans was pitching a No-Hitter he returned to the mound in the top of the eighth.
That was a risky decision by the HCAW-coaches.
Of course, Timmermans was pitching a No-Hitter, but on the other hand, it was a chilly evening, it was only the first game of the season and as not much exhibition games could be played, it meant that all pitchers hadn't thrown that much innings yet.
So, a combined No-Hitter also could have been a possibility.
When Timmermans took the mound in the eighth, he had delivered 91 pitches.
So when he would have kept the No-Hitter intact and also would have thrown the ninth inning, the righthander would have thrown some 110 pitches (maybe more).
But when looking back to several games of last season, HCAW also stuck with its starting pitcher as long as possible, instead of going to the bullpen.
And at the end of the season, it was HCAW that captured the Championship-title.
With one out in the top of the eighth, Berkenbosch delivered the first Pirates-basehit.
With that, Berkenbosch not only had broken up the Perfect Game (in the second inning), but also the No-Hitter (eighth inning) of Timmermans.
When he recorded the basehit, Berkenbosch had been the lone baserunner for Pirates.
After the basehit, HCAW's Head Coach Danny Rombley came to the mound, embraced the righthander (who had now thrown 100 pitches) and brought in reliever Jasper Elfrink.
With Berkenbosch on first base, Elfrink struckout former teammate Jules Cremer and pinch-hitter Luca van Gorkum.
Veteran Sedley Karel took the mound for HCAW in the ninth inning.
With two outs, he gave up a single to Roelie Henrique, but he was forced out on a following grounder by Alex Madera.
And that ended the game.
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HCAW shuts out Amsterdam Pirates; Timmermans flirts with No-Hitter
BUSSUM (Neth.) -
The season-opener between defending champion HCAW and Amsterdam Pirates remained scoreless for five innings.
HCAW then broke the scoreless tie with a 5-run rally in the bottom of the sixth.
And that was all the home-team needed in a 5-0 win.
Furthermore, the offense of Pirates was kept hitless for more than seven innings by Kaj Timmermans.
The Amsterdam-team broke the No-Hitter with one out in the top of the eighth.
It was veteran Kenny Berkenbosch who then hit the ball into leftfield for the first single off of the righthander, who made his comeback in the HCAW-team.
Opening Night 2023 Season.