In its first three games of the season, Twins Oosterhout managed to come-from-behind each time.
And that resulted in a sweep against Hoofddorp Pioniers, which had began the season itself with a sweep against Quick Amersfoort.
Today, Twins rallied for six runs in the fourth inning to turn the game around in its favor.
Twins initially had a 4-0 lead, but failed to hold onto it.
It was an international game for Twins Oosterhout as two new players made their debut in both the team as well as in the Dutch big league.
Starting pitcher was Simon Gross from Germany and behind the plate was debuting Belgian Alex Poesmans.
And in the eighth inning, Czech pitcher Filip Čapka took the mound for the team from Oosterhout to make his debut.
The righthander arrived earlier in the morning at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, which is near Hoofddorp, where Twins today played.
Twins opened the score in the top of the second inning off of starter Just van den Ouweelen, who had retired the side in the first.
With one out in the second, the rookie gave up an infield-hit to Luuk Visser, then walked Berend Ruben and Thijmen Peters.
But with the bases loaded and only one out, Van den Ouweelen gave up only one run.
Visser scored on a sacrifice fly by Axel Poesmans, who with that got an RBI in his first at bat.
The other two runners were left behind.
Twins was more productive in the top of the third.
This time, Marnix Ruben led off with a walk and Railison Bentura reached on an infield-hit.
The two executed a double-steal and when that was followed by a throwing error, Ruben scored.
Hereafter, Yurdion Martie delivered a runscoring single.
Two force play-grounders then accounted for two outs.
But with a runner on first base, the bases got loaded when Berend Ruben and Thijmen Peters both walked.
Another walk followed, this time for Axel Poesmans, who with this got another RBI, as all runners advanced and Visser scored.
The walk for Poesmans also led to some reactions from the field and two ejections.
First, after ball-four was called, Home Plate Umpire Jeffrey Bentsnijder ejected Pioniers 1B Coach Raymond Beljaards for arguing balls-and-strikes from the dug-out.
Shortly thereafter, Head Coach Jasper de Jong came to the mound to make a pitching change.
When Just van den Ouweelen walked passed Bentsnijder en route to the dug-out, he apparently made a remark towards the umpire and also was ejected.
Van den Ouweelen was relieved by Alden Stacie, who got an inning-ending grounder, but Pioniers faced a 4-0 deficit.
The game then appeared to turn the way of Pioniers, which rallied for six runs in the bottom of the third inning.
The team left a runner behind on second base in the first inning, then came close to what then would have been the tying run in the second at bat.
With two outs, rookie Jack van Gorkum doubled, which was his first big league-basehit.
When next batter Thom Hoogkamer singled, Van Gorkum was waved home, but he was tagged out in a close play at the plate.
Trailing 4-0, Pioniers was more successful in the bottom of the third and then staged a 6-run rally off of starter Simon Gross on four basehits and three errors.
Miquel Willem and Bodhi de Vreede opened the at bat with singles.
A throwing error by Gross on a sacrifice bunt by Terrance Heemskerk then accounted for the first run and led to runners on second and third base.
Next, the bases got loaded when Duncan Beljaards walked.
A throwing error on a following grounder by Daan Terstall then led to two runs, which narrowed the deficit to 4-3.
Another grounder followed, hit by Michael Dumitrescu, which led to the force out of Beljaards at third base.
Pioniers then got the bases loaded again when Vincent Mevissen reached on an infield-hit.
Moments later, Pioniers came alongside when Jack van Gorkum also singled to bring in Terstall.
With two outs, Pioniers took the lead when Miquel Willem reached on an error in his second at bat in the inning.
That also kept the bases loaded and when Gross walked next batter Bodhi de Vreede, another run was scored.
A pop-fly then finally ended the productive at bat of Pioniers.
But due to the three errors, only one of the six runs was earned.
The 6-4 lead also was shortlived, as Twins reacted with a 6-run rally of its own in the top of the fourth.
...Filip Čapka proudly shows the...
...ball of his first Dutch strikeout...
(© Photo: Twins Oosterhout) |
With one out, Twins got the bases loaded when Railison Bentura and Yurdion Martie walked and Luuk Bun was hit by a pitch.
A run was then scored when next batter Luuk Visser reached on an infield-hit.
A pitching change followed and Kaien Oukes took over.
He was greeted with a sacrifice fly from Terrence Garcia, which tied the score at 6-6.
Next, the bases got loaded again when Thijmen Peters walked.
Oukes then also walked following batters Axel Poesmans and pinch-hitter Gijs van Zalingen, which put Twins ahead, 8-6.
With the bases still loaded, Marnix Ruben reached on an infield-hit which brought in Peters and when that was followed by a throwing error, Poesmans also scored.
That increased the lead to 10-6.
A flyout then ended the long at bat.
From that moment on, it was now halfway the fourth inning, no more runs were added in the remainder of this game.
Pioniers got a chance to come back again in its fourth at bat, as it got the bases loaded.
With two outs, Michael Dumitrescu singled, Vincent Mevissen reached on an error and Jack van Gorkum walked, but a grounder then ended the at bat.
Twins also got the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, but also failed to add another run.
When Yurdion Martie led off with a walk, Daan Kuit took over the Pioniers-pitching.
But he hit Luuk Bun with a pitch and walked Luuk Visser.
Kuit recovered, struckout Terrence Garcia and was then supported with an inning-ending double play.
In the bottom of the fifth, Jeffrey Levenstone took over the pitching for Twins.
Again, Pioniers came into scoring position when Bodhi de Vreede and Terrance Heemskerk both singled with one out.
This time, it was Levenstone who was supported with a double play.
Duncan Beljaards hit a line drive, but that was caught by first baseman Terrence Garcia, who then completed an unassisted double play.
In the remaining four at bats, only Twins got two more runners in scoring position.
The Pioniers-defense turned a double play in the top of the seventh.
Twins left a runner behind on first base in the sixth and eighth inning.
In the top of the ninth, Twins got into scoring position again off of Daan Kuit, who threw the final five innings for Pioniers.
After giving up a lead-off single to Marnix Ruben, Kuit was supported with a double play.
But thereafter, Yurdion Martie (walk) and Lucas Wols (error) reached base.
The two then advanced via a double-steal, but were left behind.
Pioniers was retired in order in the sixth and seventh inning by Jeffrey Levenstone, who was relieved in the eighth by Filip Čapka.
Pioniers got one more baserunner.
In the eighth, the Czech righthander struckout the second batter he faced, but then gave up an infield-hit to Duncan Beljaards.
He stranded on first base.
Čapka retired the side in the ninth to end the game.
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Twins Oosterhout sweeps Hoofddorp Pioniers with third comeback-win
HOOFDDORP (Neth.) -
For the third day in a row, Twins Oosterhout came-from-behind to win 10-6 and complete a 3-game sweep against Hoofddorp Pioniers.
The opener of the 3-game series in Hoofddorp rained out on Thursday-evening, but was made up on Friday-evening.
Twins then came-from-behind and scored three runs in the ninth to win 5-3.
On Saturday, Twins Oosterhout also trailed, but won 7-4.
Today, Twins initially led 4-0 halfway the third inning, but Pioniers then rallied for six runs.
Now suddenly trailing 6-4, Twins answered with a 6-run rally off its own in the top of the fourth.
Thereafter, the scoring simply stopped for both teams.
Axel Poesmans and Filip Čapka (both Twins Oosterhout) make their debut in the Dutch big league.