Neptunus faced an 1-0 deficit against RCH-Pinguïns halfway the fifth inning.
The team then scored twice in its fifth at bat and hold onto the minimal lead.
Today's starting pitchers are teammates in the Netherlands National Baseball Team, both participated in the recent World Baseball Classic, both are professionals and both played for another team last season.
Neptunus-starter Shairon Martis played for Amsterdam Pirates in the past three seasons.
The righthander pitched in different professional leagues from 2005 through 2019, including 26 games in the Major League.
RCH-starter Juan Carlos Sulbaran last season pitched for Neptunus.
The righthander played in professional leagues in 2009-2018 and played in Nicaragua last winter.
From April 28, Sulbaran will play in a professional Independent League.
Although it was announced in March that he had signed a contract with Lexington Counter Clocks, it was confirmed (again) on April 13.
A week ago, in the series-opener against DSS/Kinheim, Neptunus was kept hitless and scoreless by starting pitcher Nick Boxelaar, who faced the minimum batters in the first five innings.
Boxelaar got only baserunner, as he hit Dwayne Kemp in the second inning, but he was caught stealing.
Boxelaar retired the side in the first, third, fourth and fifth inning.
Neptunus then broke the No-Hitter and shutout in the sixth and went on to win 7-0.
Today, it was veteran righthander Juan Carlos Sulbaran who retired the first twelve batters he faced.
With that, Neptunus was kept scoreless and hitless in its first four at bats.
In the fifth inning, Dwayne Kemp led-off with a triple and went on to score.
But at that moment, the home-team faced an 1-0 deficit.
Back to the first inning, as RCH-Pinguïns then got a chance to open the score with two outs.
Jesse Aussems then lined the ball down the rightfield-line, which led to a double-call, as Home Plate Umpire Ric Zwanenberg gave the fair-signal and 1B Umpire Jacques Krutzen signaled foul.
On his way to first base, Aussems initially stopped when he saw the foul-call, then did move towards the base, stopped again and almost was tagged out after all, before he had reached the base.
The three umpires came together and after their review, it was ruled that the ball was fair and so, Aussems was entitled to be on first base.
Neptunus Head Coach Greg Muller then had a brief discussion with Zwanenberg, but got an explanation of the ruling and returned to the dug-out.
Thereafter, Aldrich Guzman also singled, but a flyout ended the at bat.
The visitors got their next baserunner in the top of the third when Tijani Dunlop led off with a single, but he was later eliminated in an inning-ending double play.
RCH-Pinguïns, which was retired in order in the second and fourth inning, opened the score in the top of the fifth inning off of starter Shairon Martis.
He ran into some early problems, as the first five batters reached base.
RCH got the bases loaded with no outs, but scored only once, thanks to the defense of Neptunus.
Sebastiaan van der Horst led off with a single, then reached second base safely on a throwing error on a force play-grounder by next batter Daan Groenewoud.
RCH got the bases loaded when Jaison Gijsbertha also singled.
Another single followed, this time hit by Tijani Dunlop.
That brought in Van der Horst and kept the bases loaded.
Hereafter, Groenewoud was forced out at the plate on a grounder by Raul Jacobs.
The bases were still loaded, but now with one out.
The inning, and this scoring-opportunity, ended when Jeldwin Orman grounded into a double play.
RCH-starter Juan Carlos Sulbaran retired the first twelve batters.
Only four times, an out was made in the outfield.
With a small 1-0 lead, the righthander got his first baserunners in the bottom of the fifth.
And due to two errors, that also led to two runs, which would be decisive for the outcome.
Dwayne Kemp led off the fifth inning for Neptunus with a drive into centerfield.
As the ball appeared to be caught, Kemp started slow, then speed up when he saw how centerfielder Raul Jacobs ended up short.
The ball went over his head and Kemp ended up on third base with a triple.
Next batter Arthur Bonevacia hit a pop-fly that initially went into foul territory at the third base-side, but then blew to fair territory.
Third baseman Denzel Brooks attempted to catch the ball, but it dropped on fair ground for an error, which kept Kemp at third base.
Hereafter, RCH's Head Coach Joshua Zara had some questions for Home Plate Umpire Ric Zwanenberg whether the ball was touched on fair or foul ground, got an explanation and returned to the dug-out.
On the next pitch, Christian Diaz hit a grounder towards short stop Jesse Aussems.
While trying to field the ball, Aussems fell down and then, while coming upwards, he made an errant throw to second base.
And so, Diaz reached first base on a fielder's choice, while Bonevacia ended up on third base on the throwing error and Kemp scored the tying run.
Moments later, Sulbaran picked off Diaz at first base, which led to an argument between Neptunus Head Coach Greg Muller and 1B Umpire Jacques Krutzen.
Sheadion Jamanika then struckout, but now with two outs, Sulbaran threw his first delivery to next batter Enrique Hatma in the ground for a wild pitch.
And that enabled Bonevacia to score and put Neptunus ahead, 2-1.
And that was all the scoring in this game, but both teams left some runners in scoring position.
After RCH had left a runner behind on first base in the top of the sixth, Neptunus got into scoring position again in its sixth off of new pitcher Jan-Willem Geerts.
He walked lead-off hitter Stijn van der Meer and then gave up a single to Roger Bernadina.
But a strikeout, a flyout and groundout followed.
Neptunus went to the bullpen in the top of the seventh when Aaron de Groot took over the pitching.
He also saw RCH leave a runner behind on first base.
Neptunus then came close to an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning off off new pitcher Chris Koeiman.
He walked lead-off hitter Christian Diaz.
A first bunt-attempt by next batter Sheadion Jamanika ended up in foul territory.
Catcher Jaison Gijsbertha reacted that Jamanika had touched the ball in fair territory.
Head Coach Joshua Zara came out again and got an explanation from the Home Plate Umpire, as it was ruled a foul ball.
On the next pitch, Jamanika had more success and with his sacrifice bunt, he moved Diaz to second base.
Hereafter, Enrique Hatma delivered a single and Diaz tried to score.
But rightfielder Tijani Dunlop got the ball in time to catcher Jaison Gijsbertha, who tagged out Diaz.
In the top of the eighth, it was RCH-Pinguïns that came close to another run, in this case, the tying run.
Lead-off hitter Jeldwin Orman reached on a throwing error by short stop John Polonius, then moved on a sacrifice bunt by Jesse Aussems and a passed ball.
But with a runner on third base, Aaron de Groot struckout Aldrich Guzman and Denzel Brooks.
In the top of the ninth, RCH-Pinguïns got one final baserunner off of closer Mike Groen.
Again, lead-off hitter Sebastiaan van der Horst got on base via an error, made by third baseman Stijn van der Meer.
Van der Horst moved into scoring position on a grounder by pinch-hitter Luis Gonzalez Garay.
This time, it was Groen, who had a strong finish, as he struckout Jaison Gijsbertha and Tijani Dunlop to end the game and earn a save.
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Neptunus trails, then nips RCH-Pinguïns in second game
ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
Curaçao Neptunus recorded a small 2-1 win on Saturday (April 15) in its second game against RCH Memorie Sieraden.
Neptunus was limited to only three basehits and trailed 1-0 halfway the fifth inning, but then scored twice in its fifth at bat.
What would become the deciding run was scored on a wild pitch.
On Thursday-evening, Neptunus opened the 3-game series with an 11-0 victory in 6½ inning.
In that game, the team collected eleven basehits.
Today, as mentioned, there were only three basehits.
The first off these hits was recorded in the fifth inning.
A week ago, in the opener against DSS/Kinheim, Neptunus was kept hitless and scoreless in the first five innings.
