...The umpiring crew for today's game...
...Left to right: Edson Louisa, Ric Zwanenberg,...
...Efrem Silvania and ................
(© Photo: Org. Comm. The Kingdom Series) |
Netherlands vs. Aruba
In this first game, the Netherlands was outhit 11-9 by Aruba.
However, five Aruban pitchers also walked 12 batters and hit one.
The Aruban defense committed three errors.
As a result, only four of the ten Orange-runs were earned.
The Netherlands got on base first, as Jonathan Schoop walked with one out, but the Aruban defense then turned a double play.
Moments later, Aruba opened the score in its first at bat off of Orange-starter Lars Huijer.
The righthander walked lead-off hitter Daniel Benschop, who then stole second base.
Next batter Albert (AJ) Pop drove the ball into rightfield, where it was caught by Delano Selassa, which kept Benschop at second base.
But he then stole third base and scored on a following sacrifice fly by Kelvin Silvania.
The Dutch offense was retired in order in the top of the second by American pitcher Joe Cuomo, who closed by striking out Ray-Patrick Didder and Sharlon Schoop.
After having graduated from Mississippi College in 2022, the righthander pitched in an Independent League later that year.
In 2023 and this year, Cuomo played in Italy.
He was 1-0 in 12 appearances (three starts) for UnipolSai Fortitudo Bologna last year.
This season, Cuomo was 2-1 in eight games (all in relief) for Hotsand Macerata.
In the bottom of the second, centerfielder Ray-Patrick Didder avoided a second Aruban run, thanks to a strong throw to the plate.
Jerieel Rafael led off with a single and with one out, Julio Hernandez was hit by a pitch.
Hereafter, Joshua Ramada singled through the middle.
Rafael was sent home, but Didder's throw arrived in time at catcher Jair van Borkulo, who tagged out the runner.
A pop-fly ended the at bat.
In the top of the third innning, the Netherlands turned the game around via a 4-run rally.
Cuomo began by striking out veteran Dwayne Kemp, but hereafter, both Jair van Borkulo and Delano Selassa walked.
Next, the bases got loaded when Stijn van der Meer reached on an infield-hit that first hit Cuomo and then 2B Umpire Ric Zwanenberg.
A following grounder by former Major Leaguer Jonathan Schoop was nicely played by Aruban third baseman Jerieel Rafael, who forced out Van Borkulo at the plate.
By the way, Rafael was one of five players in the Aruban starting line-up whose first name began with a J.
Amongst them was veteran, 39-year old designated hitter Jourick Blanco.
He played in the Dutch big league for Hoofddorp Pioniers in 2007-2008, 2010 and 2012 and also played for Sparta/Feyenoord in 2011.
With two outs and the bases still loaded, Juremi Profar drove the ball into deep leftfield for what appeared to be the third out.
But while standing close to the fence, the leftfielder dropped the ball and all three runners scored.
Moments later, Profar (who ended up on second base) scored himself on a single by Eugene Helder, whose father Eugene Helder Sr. is the Manager of Aruba.
Amongst his coaches are former Dutch big leaguers Conrad Orman (Hoofddorp Pioniers) and Pierre Richardson (ADO, Quick Amersfoort).
In the next three at bats, the Netherlands took more distance.
First, a run was added in the fourth inning.
Joe Cuomo initially began well by striking out Dwayne Kemp and Jair van Borkulo, but he then walked Delano Selassa and Stijn van der Meer and that ended the evening for the American righthander.
He was replaced by Gerald Tromp, who gave up a full-count RBI-single to Jonathan Schoop.
Hereafter, he got the bases loaded when he walked Juremi Profar.
Next, Tromp also ran to a full count on Eugene Helder, but then got an inning-ending grounder.
Aruba also got on base again in its third and fourth at bat.
In both innings, Lars Huijer gave up 2-out singles.
In the third, Kelvin Silvania singled, but stranded on first base.
With two outs in the fourth, Julio Hernandez and Joshua Ramada both singled, but a force play then ended the at bat.
The Orange-squad scored again in the fifth.
The team got the bases loaded with one out, but scored only once.
After Ray-Patrick Didder had led off with a walk, Sharlon Schoop hit a high pop-fly into short rightfield, but the ball dropped between the second baseman and rightfielder.
A throwing error followed, which led to runners on second and third base.
Next, the bases got loaded when Dwayne Kemp was hit by a pitch.
Didder then scored on a sacrifice fly by Jair van Borkulo, but the others were left behind, as Delano Selassa struckout and Stijn van der Meer grounded out.
Aruba also got into scoring position again in the bottom of the fifth.
Lars Huijer bobbled on a grounder by lead-off hitter Daniel Benschop trying to field the ball near the foul-line, which was ruled an infield-hit.
Moments later, Benschop was caught stealing after Huijer picked him off at first base.
Hereafter, both AJ Pop and Kelvin Silvania singled.
Huijer then struckout veteran Jourick Blanco and a force play-grounder ended the inning.
In the sixth inning, the seventh Orange-run was scored when Jonathan Schoop led off with a homerun.
Lefthander Ryan Huntington took over from Lars Huijer in the bottom of the sixth.
Also entering the game was Dayson Croes, who took over at second base and made his debut in the Netherlands Team.
Huntington began with a strikeout, then saw Julio Hernandez reach on an error, but he stranded on first base.
...Jonathan Schoop homers for the Netherlands in the 6th inning...
(© Photo: Screenshot / Marco Stoovelaar) |
The Netherlands took more distance by scoring two more runs with two outs in the top of the seventh off off new pitcher Carlos Wester.
He gave up a lead-off single to Sharlon Schoop, who moved into scoring position via a wild pitch.
With one out, Jair van Borkulo hit a grounder towards third base, which was argued to be a foul ball.
But the ball was ruled fair and so, Aruban third baseman Jerieel Rafael eliminated Van Borkulo at first base.
At the request of Orange Manager Evert-Jan 't Hoen, the four umpires got together, discussed the situation and confirmed the call.
That led to some arguments from the Dutch dug-out, resulting in an ejection.
With two outs, pinch-hitter Denzel Richardson reached on an error.
Now with runners at the corners, next batter Stijn van der Meer delivered a run-scoring single.
That brought Orange-rookie Dayson Croes in the batter's box for his first at bat.
It was a strong at bat, as Croes fouled off five pitches, then hit the ball through the middle for an RBI-single to increase the lead to 9-1.
Aruba got one run back in the bottom of the seventh off of new pitcher Franklin Van Gurp.
He walked lead-off hitter Daniel Benschop, who then stole second base (his third steal in the game) and advanced on a grounder by AJ Pop.
Hereafter, he scored on a single by Kelvin Silvania, who also had batted in the first Aruban run in the first inning.
In the eighth inning, both teams scored once.
The Netherlands got the bases loaded with one out off of new pitcher Clayton den Boef.
After Eugene Helder had flied out, Ray-Patrick Didder walked.
Hereafer, Sharlon Schoop connected for his third consecutive single after having struckout in his first two at bats.
The bases got loaded when Dwayne Kemp also walked.
Didder then scored when Jair van Borkulo was the third batter who walked.
A pitching change followed and Cal Maduro took over.
Despite still having the bases loaded and only one out, no more runs were added, as Denzel Richardson fouled out and Stijn van der Meer grounded out.
In the bottom of the eighth, Pim Vijfvinkel became the new Orange-pitcher and made his National Team-debut.
He began with a strikeout, but then gave up a triple to pinch-hitter Tyrese Antonia, who scored on a following single by Joshua Ramada.
After a flyout accounted for the second out, Vijfvinkel closed with another strikeout.
The Orange-squad got one more baserunner in the top of the ninth when Eugene Helder walked with two outs.
But he stranded, as pinch-hitter Rushenten Tomsjansen (who also made his debut) grounded out.
Juan Carlos Sulbaran pitched in the bottom of the ninth for the Netherlands.
He retired the side, striking out the first and third batter to end the game.
Playing for the Netherlands in this game were:
Stijn van der Meer (LF, 2-for-5, run, RBI, walk), Jonathan Schoop (2B, 2-for-3, homerun, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, walk), Dayson Croes (2B, 1-for-2, RBI), Juremi Profar (3B, 0-for-5, run, walk, GDP), Eugene Helder (1B, 1-for-5, RBI, walk), Ray-Patrick Didder (CF, 0-for-2, 2 runs, 3 walks, strikeout), Rushenten Tomsjansen (PH/CF, 0-for-1), Sharlon Schoop (SS, 3-for-5, run, 2 strikeouts), Dwayne Kemp (DH, 0-for-3, walk, hit by pitch, 2 strikeouts), Jair van Borkulo (C, 0-for-2, 2 RBIs, 2 walks, sacrifice fly, strikeout), Delano Selassa (RF, 0-for-1, 2 runs, 2 walks, strikeout, stolen base), Denzel Richardson (PH/RF, 0-for-2, run), and pitchers Lars Huijer, Ryan Huntington, Franklin Van Gurp, Pim Vijfvinkel and Juan Carlos Sulbaran.
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Netherlands Team opens Kingdom Series with win
SANTA CRUZ / ORANJESTAD (Aruba) -
The Netherlands Baseball Team opened the second edition of The Kingdom Series on Friday (November 1) with a 10-3 victory against host Aruba.
In the Nadi Croes/Crismo Angela Stadium in Santa Cruz, a suburb of Aruban capital Oranjestad, the Netherlands Kingdom Team initially faced an early 1-0 deficit.
On Thursday-evening, Curaçao had opened the event with a convincing 10-0 win against Bonaire in a game that ended in the eighth inning via the mercy-rule.
Preceeding the game between Aruba and the Netherlands, the tournament was officially opened.
After the four participating teams lined up around the infield, a world of welcome followed and the national anthems of all four countries were played.
Dangui Oduber, the Aruban Minister of Public Health and Tourism, then threw the ceremonial first pitch, while Endy Croes, Minister of Education and Sports, served as batter and Sicnarf Loopstok as catcher.
Also participating in this years event are three umpires from the Dutch big league: Marwin Kleinmoedig, Efrem Silvania and Ric Zwanenberg.
Preceeding the tournament, a clinic for umpires from Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao was conducted by Kleinmoedig and Silvania, who were joined by Aruban umpire Giovanni Meulens.
Silvania, who is a veteran umpire in the Dutch big league, was behind the plate in today's game, while Zwanenberg was the umpire at second base in the 4-man crew.
Game 1 - The Kingdom Series 2024.