(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
 Amsterdam Pirates records second exhibition-win; Second team Hoofddorp Pioniers outscores main-squad
Nederlands
  AMSTERDAM / HOOFDDORP (Neth.) -
Dutch champion Amsterdam Pirates also won its second game of the exhibition-season.
On a very chilly Sunday (March 10), the team turned a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win in a 7-inning game against Oosterhout Twins.
On Saturday, Pirates won with the same score in Oosterhout.
...Oliver van der Wijst Severino...
...2 walks, single, stolen base, run scored...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Omron Pioniers, the second team of Hoofddorp Pioniers, recorded a 6-3 win against the main-squad in a 6-inning game.
On Saturday, Pioniers had outscored the second team with a 6-1 score.
Both games were played on Field 2 of the Pioniers-complex, as the main-field in the stadium is not yet available.
Oosterhout Twins opened today's game in Amsterdam with two runs in the top of the first inning off of Martijn Schoonderwoerd, one of the newcomers in the Pirates-team.
The righthander gave up a lead-off single to Marnix Ruben, who stole second base, then scored on a hard-hit, bad-hop single with one out by Railison Bentura.
He moved into scoring position on the throw to the plate, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored the second run on a sacrifice fly by Luuk Visser.
The top of the second inning ended with some confusion.
After Berend Ruben had led off with a single, a rare 9-3 out at first base followed on a hit by Jerzy van Gool, which moved Ruben to second base.
Hereafter, Onne van Gool grounded in front of catcher (and former Twin) Yurdion Martie, who eliminated the batter at first base.
The ball was then thrown to second base, where Ruben was tagged out, as he was off the base, apparently thinking that Van Gool's grounder was ruled a foul-ball.
Instead, it became an inning-ending double play.
Amsterdam Pirates left a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the first inning off of Jack Wagner, who transfered to Twins after having played for Quick Amersfoort last season.
The righthander gave up a lead-off single to Oliver van der Wijst Severino, but followed with two strikeouts.
Van der Wijst, who stole second base in the meantime, stranded on second base.
Pirates cut the deficit in half in the second inning.
Lucas Vos led off with a walk and Urving Kemp folowed with a double.
Kemp also is a newcomer in Amsterdam.
Last season, he played for DSS/Kinheim, as did Schoonderwoerd.
Vos scored on a sacrifice fly by Tommy van de Sanden, but Kemp stranded on second base.
...Allan Hazel was the Acting Head...
...Coach of Pirates this weekend...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
After Schoonderwoerd had retired the side in the top of the third inning, Pirates came alongside in its third at bat off of new pitcher Terrence Garcia, but also left three runners behind.
The lefthander walked lead-off hitter Oliver van der Wijst, followed with a strikeout, but then gave up a single to Yurdion Martie.
Hereafter, Van der Wijst advanced to third base while Martie was forced out on a grounder by Jorrit Penseel, who was the Most Valuable Player of last years Holland Series.
Pirates then got the bases loaded when Lucas Vos walked.
Moments later, Van der Wijst scored the tying run when Urving Kemp also walked.
A force play then ended the at bat and three runners were left behind.
Twins got a chance to re-take the lead in the fourth inning off of reliever Yassir Lachkar, but left runners behind on second and third base.
With one out, Mick Vos singled and Railison Bentura doubled.
Berend Ruben followed with a line drive, but that was caught by short stop Alex Madera.
A grounder ended the at bat.
In the bottom of the fourth, it was Pirates that turned the game around off of new pitcher Simon Gross and took a 3-2 lead.
With one out, Quintin de Cuba and Oliver van der Wijst walked and both advanced on a passed ball.
Next, De Cuba (who last season played for HCAW) was awarded home plate when Home Plate Umpire Jeffrey Bentsnijder called a balk.
In this situation, Van der Wijst moved to third base, but the next two batters were retired.
It also was the final run in the game.
Garcia retired the side in the fifth, then Raf Cocu threw two scoreless innings.
Lachkar was supported with a double play in the fifth and also encountered no problems in the sixth.
Closer Maickel Rietel then secured the lead by throwing a scoreless seventh to earn a save.
In Hoofddorp, the second team of Pioniers rallied for three runs in two innings.
As was done on Saturday in their first meeting, the pitchers and catchers switched teams again.
All pitchers threw two innings in today's game.
Pioniers-2 scored three runs in the first inning off of starter Tim Scholte and added three more runs in the third off of reliever Matthijs Scholte ter Horst.
The team was held scoreless in the final two at bats by Levi de Graaf.
Sem Nijman, who started for the second team, threw two scoreless innings.
His successor Just van de Ouweelen then gave up the first run scored by the main-squad in the third inning.
Trailing 6-1, Pioniers scored two more runs in the fifth inning off of Luca van Gorkum to narrow the deficit to 6-3.
Both Head Coaches were satisfied.
,,This really was a collective team-effort'', said Ronald Stoovelaar, Head Coach of the second team.
Hoofddorp Pioniers Head Coach Tom van Limburg added:
,,What I liked today was that we played a very good game defensively.
All plays were done properly.
We have good competition for each position''.
Coming weekend, more exhibition-games are scheduled and all nine big league-teams then will come into action.
 Amsterdam Pirates then will play against its second team on Saturday.
Curaçao Neptunus will play a double-header at home on Saturday against Bonn Capitals from Germany.
Quick Amersfoort also only has an activity for Saturday when it hosts the second team of HCAW.
HCAW and UVV will meet on Saturday and Sunday, both times in Bussum.
RCH-Pinguïns and Oosterhout Twins also will play on both days, Saturday in Heemstede, Sunday in Oosterhout.
DSS/Kinheim will travel to Solingen in Germany for a training-camp and will play against Solingen Alligators on Saturday and Sunday.
Hoofddorp Pioniers originally had two games scheduled against Neptunus, but that was changed.
As it was not possible to arrange other games, Pioniers now will have a 2-day trainingcamp at its home-site instead.
Complete Schedule & Scores
(March 10)
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