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Updated: April 27, 2023
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Grand Slam/Marco Stoovelaar

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(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Alfred Cop Fotografie)

Lars Huijer almost Perfect in 7-inning No-Hitter HCAW vs. Quick Amersfoort
Nederlands

BUSSUM (Neth.) - Lars Huijer threw a 7-inning No-Hitter for HCAW on Thursday-evening (April 20) in the series-opener against Quick Amersfoort. HCAW won with a 10-0 score, which was reached via a 6-run rally in the bottom of the seventh to finish the game via the mercy-rule. Somewhat over an hour later, a second No-Hitter was completed, as three pitchers threw a combined No-Hitter for DSS/Kinheim against RCH Memorie Sieraden.

HCAW led only 4-0 when it ended the game via the above-mentioned rally. In the meantime, Huijer had kept Quick not only scoreless, but also hitless in his seven innings on the mound for HCAW. He barely missed a Perfect Game, as he got only one baserunner. Huijer, who threw only 71 pitches, struckout nine batters.

For Lars Huijer, this is his second No-Hitter. In 2019, almost exactly four years ago, he also threw a 7-inning No-Hitter when he played for Hoofddorp Pioniers against Storks.

This is HCAW's fourth No-Hitter in the highest league. In 2001, Patrick de Lange threw the first one. Then, in 2010, in the Play-Downs, it was Joey Eijpe, who threw a No-Hitter. Last season, Dennis Burgersdijk gave up no hits in a 7-inning game.

Fun-fact, tonight's Home Plate Umpire Roy van de Wateringen also was behind the plate in the previous two No-Hitters of HCAW, thrown by Eijpe and Burgersdijk.

It was a historic night in Dutch baseball, as for the first time ever in the highest division, two No-Hitters were thrown on the same day and both games had a special ending.
At Bussum, as mentioned, the game ended via the mercy-rule.
At Heemstede, three pitchers threw a combined No-Hitter for DSS/Kinheim against RCH Memorie Sieraden. This game also had an ending via a special rule, as it ended after eight complete innings due to the 10:30 PM curfew-rule. DSS/Kinheim won 12-4 with RCH scoring its four runs without recording a basehit.

(April 20)

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HCAW had an early 3-0 lead after two innings, but then couldn't really take some more distance. The team added its fourth run in the sixth and so, it appeared that this would become a normal 9-inning game. However, the home-team then rallied for six runs in the seventh to end the game via the mercy-rule.

...Lars Huijer...
...during his No-Hitter...
(© Photo: (Alfred Cop Fotografie)
Lars Huijer retired the first twelve batters he faced, seven of them via a strikeout (three of them in the third). The other five outs were grounders, including two comebackers.

In the top of the fifth inning, Huijer walked lead-off hitter Ibrahin Redan. His stay at first base was briefly, as next batter Marvin Jakobus grounded into a double play. Redan would remain the lone baserunner for Quick Amersfoort.

Huijer retired the side again in the sixth and seventh inning, adding two more strikeouts. Also in these two at bats, the only two outfield-outs were recorded. In the sixth, Lars Visser flied out to leftfield. And in the seventh, Amar van Zwieten flied out to rightfield.

HCAW faced Jack Wagner and scored its first run in the bottom of the first inning. The righthander walked lead-off hitter Delano Selassa, who then stole second base and moved to third base via a passed ball. Selassa scored on a following double by Victor Draijer, who stranded on third base himself.

In the second inning, HCAW added two unearned runs. With one out, Max Draijer singled and Bob van der Meer doubled. With two outs, both scored when two errors were made on a grounder by Delano Selassa.

In the next three at bats, HCAW was unable to get another runner in scoring position. HCAW then added its fourth run in the sixth, but also left runners behind on second and third base. Kevin Dirksen led off with a single, then was caught stealing. When next batter Shurman Marlin also singled, a pitching change followed. Joel Martis took over, saw Marlin steal second base, then struckout Max Draijer. With two outs, Martis gave up a single to Bob van der Meer and when that was followed by an outfield-error, Marlin scored. Van der Meer later moved to third base when a walk for Julian Goins ended in a wild pitch. Goins then moved into scoring position via a stolen base. But with runners on second and third base, Martis closed the at bat by striking out Delano Selassa.

And so, the bottom of the seventh inning began with HCAW leading 4-0. With that, a normal 9-inning game appeared to be in the making, meaning that Lars Huijer probably would have returned to the mound in the eighth and ninth trying to complete a 9-inning No-Hitter. But whether or not he would have succeeded in doing so, we will never know, as HCAW rallied for six runs to reach a 10-run difference. And so, the game ended via the mercy-rule. And with that, Huijer didn't have to come back and had thrown a 7-inning No-Hitter.

In the seventh inning, HCAW got the bases loaded quickly. Victor Draijer led off with a double, then the bases got loaded when Jeandro Tromp singled and Quintin de Cuba walked. Two following walks for respectively Kevin Dirksen and Shurman Marlin then accounted for the first two runs. That was followed by an RBI-grounder from Max Draijer and a 2-run double by Bob van der Meer. Thereafter, Julian Goins walked. With runners on first and second base and only one out, a pitching change followed with HCAW now leading 9-0. Sander Crama entered the game and made his big league-debut. That became a memorable debut, as he never faced an official batter, but nevertheless accounted for the tenth run. With Delano Selassa in the batter's box, Crama's first delivery was low for a ball. Before he could make his next delivery, Home Plate Umpire Roy van de Wateringen called a balk, which moved the runners to second and third base. Crama's next delivery then ended in the ground and jumped over the catcher for a walk-off wild pitch. And that enabled Van der Meer to score the tenth run and end the game.


HCAW - Quick Amersfoort 10-0 (7 inn.)
123456789RHE
Quick Amersfoort0000000 -003
HCAW1200016 -10120
(one out when 10-run difference was reached in the bottom of the 7th inning)
pitchers Quick Amersfoortinn.SOBBHRER
Jack Wagner, L (1-1)5.112842

Joel Martis125466

Sander Crama- (*)-----

(*) - Crama had a 2-0 count on the first batter he faced when the game ended

pitcher HCAWinn.SOBBHRER
Lars Huijer, W (2-0)791---

Lars Huijer throws a No-Hitter

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Umpires:
HP-Roy van de Wateringen, 1B-Elvin Englentina, 3B-Marwin Kleinmoedig.
Official Scorer-Rob Schuurman.
Play-by-Play Scorer-Feiko Drost.
Technical Commissioner-Fred van Groningen Schinkel.
Public Address Announcer-Han Monsees.
Scoreboard Operator-Nico van de Luitgaren.
Starting Time-7:30 PM.
Time Played-1:50 hrs.
Site-Rob Hoffmann Vallei, Sportpark 'De Sportvallei', Bussum.

Game Notes:
Sander Crama (Quick Amersfoort) makes his debut in the Dutch big league.
Lars Huijer (HCAW) throws the second No-Hitter in his career.
Lars Huijer throws the fourth big league No-Hitter for HCAW.

Weather conditions at game time:
Partly cloudy, 12° C (53,6° F); wind direction east-northeast; wind speed 23 kmh (14,3 mph); wind force 3 Bft; humidity 46%.



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