Pirates added eleven new players to its roster after completion of last season. Therefore, the team has become a strong contender to reach the Play-Offs. Amongst the eleven newcomers are three players who last year played in the Dutch National Team and three who played for the National Junior Squad.

...Jos de Jong returns on the... ...Pirates-mound after a... ...two year absence... (Photo: Arie-Jan Lam)

In the season-opener, the pitchers of the two teams threw for the opposing teams facing their teammates. Seven Pirates-pitchers therefore threw for Pirates-2, all of them only one inning. Four pitchers of the Pirates-2 squad took the mound for the big league-team. The Pirates-defense turned three double plays, which all included rookie second baseman Zaïr Koeiman. Only five players of the First Division-team were allowed to reach second base, with only one reaching third base resulting in the lone Pirates-2 run in the fifth inning. While this was only the first game of the season, there already were some fine defensive plays and some strong pitching. Did the defense for the big league-team remained intact for the entire game, except for an outfield-change, the First Division-squad made several defensive changes, moving its players around the field.

In the first inning, Pirates was retired in order by starter Kevin Miner, then his successor Jos de Jong retired the first two batters he faced, before hitting Zaïr Koeiman with a pitch and giving up a single to his brother Bas de Jong, but the inning ended with a comeback-grounder. Pirates opened the score in the third at bat, facing Djurvin Cleofa, who last season played baseball in the Netherlands Antilles. Björn Henrichs led off with a single and moved on a grounder by Remco Draijer. Henrichs then scored when an error was made on a grounder by Kenny Berkenbosch, one of the five players who came to Pirates from Mr. Cocker HCAW. The others are Bas de Jong, Jos de Jong, Sidney de Jong and Nick Stuifbergen. The last three all have played for Pirates before in the past. With two outs in the fourth inning, Bas de Jong doubled off Nick Stuifbergen, but he stranded on second base, as next batter Roderick Simon struckout.

...Fausto Álvarez delivers game-winning single... (Photo: Arie-Jan Lam)

In the fifth inning, Pirates-2 came alongside. Pinch-hitter Rick Geestman, who was the starting pitcher for the big league-team, but now entered the game for the second team, led off with a single, but was doubled up after Ruben More popped out. Hereafter, pitcher Roy Beems, who had relieved Geestman in the third inning, was replaced by rookie Wouter van Ginneken, who started by walking the first two batters he faced: Keimor Reineta (who stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch) and Mischa Visser. Reineta then scored the tying run when Lindell Finsey singled, before a flyout ended the at bat.

After Raban Schalm had thrown a perfect fifth inning, Pirates re-took the lead with a 6-run rally in the sixth inning off new pitcher Seppo Slaman, who was added to the winter roster of Pirates from the second team, along with Koeiman. Slaman started by hitting Sidney de Jong with his first delivery, then enabled him to advance on a wild pitch. After Roy Harteveld popped out, De Jong scored the go-ahead run on a single by Fausto Álvarez Rizo, just out of reach for second baseman Ruben More. Next, Zaïr Koeiman doubled, followed by a groundout. Álvarez and Koeiman scored when a throwing error followed on a grounder by Roderick Simon, which lifted to lead to 4-1. Simon moved to third base on a single by Björn Henrichs, then scored on a double by Remco Draijer, which was followed by a runscoring wild pitch to make it 6-1. Draijer scored the sixth run in the inning when Mark Kan followed with a single, before a flyout finally ended the at bat.

Pirates-2 was unable to add more runs off Frank van Heijst, who pitched the last two innings and was supported in the eighth inning by two fine actions by rookie first baseman Roy Harteveld, who last season played for First Division-champion DOOR Tridents, which is the second team of DOOR Neptunus. Newcomers Joey Berkenbosch and Ferd van Stekelenburg (both Almere '90) didn't play today, because of slight injuries.
(March 4)

The first game between the two teams, scheduled to be played yesterday (Saturday), already had been canceled earlier in the week. On Monday, the two Head Coaches of the teams, Eric de Bruin (Neptunus) and Adonis Kemp (Sparta/Feyenoord), decided against playing, stating it wasn't a good idea of playing a game without having practiced outdoor before. Neptunus conducted its first outdoor training session last Sunday, but Sparta/Feyenoord only had practiced indoor. Instead of playing, the two teams scheduled outdoor sessions for yesterday, but these were canceled also, because of the field conditions.
(March 4)