In the first four innings, HCAW already was closer to a run than Kinheim. It reached base four times and two of its runners came in scoring position. Kinheim reached base three times in these at bats, but all runners were eliminated, two with a caught stealing, the other in a double play.
From the fifth inning on, the bottom three batters scored the runs for HCAW, while the top three enabled them to score. In the fifth inning, HCAW opened the score with two runs on four basehits. Nick Makkinje led off with a single, moved on a grounder by Juriën Overman and advanced to third base on a single by Bart Gabriëls. Singles by Ralph Milliard and Ronald Jaarsma then resulted in two runs.
HCAW added a run in the seventh at bat. Kinheim-starter Patrick Beljaards walked lead-off hitter Juriën Overman, who went to reach third base on an one-out single by Milliard and scored when Jaarsma followed with a double. Milliard and Jaarsma stranded on third and second base when a strikeout and a groundout followed.

The Bussum-team increased its lead to 5-0 in the ninth inning, as a result of a lack of control by reliever Jeffrey Verbij. In the inning, Juriën Overman led off with a double, after which Verbij came on to relief Patrick Beljaards. However, Verbij couldn't find the strikezone on the first three batters he faced. He first hit Bart Gabriëls with a pitch, then walked Ralph Milliard and also hit Ronald Jaarsma, which gave HCAW an extra run and kept the bases loaded. Next, Gino Henson hit a sac-fly that made it 5-0. After Milliard and Jaarsma moved on a grounder by Bas de Jong, the bases were loaded again when Verbij walked Rodney Michel, but then the inning ended when Martijn Meeuwis flied out.

Kinheim was less lucky off Kenny Berkenbosch, who made his first start of the season. In the fifth, the righthander walked lead-off hitter Tjerk Smeets, but then HCAW turned its second double play of the game.
In the seventh, Kinheim got its first real chance of scoring a run. With one out, Kenny Berkenbosch walked Quincy Bernardus and Tjerk Smeets, who then moved on a double-steal. But then Edward Illidge struckout and Roel Koolen grounded out.
In the eighth, rookie Joep de Wit took over for Berkenbosch and struckout the first two batters he faced. In the ninth, Kinheim reached base four times, but only one runner advanced to second base. De Wit earned his first career save.
The two HCAW-pitchers threw to Juriën Overman, who made his big league-debut as catcher. Overman, who was the regular catcher for HCAW-2 in the First Division, played primarily in the outfield when used in the big league-team. Overman took over for regular catcher Sidney de Jong, who is out for at least four weeks with a muscle-injury in his leg. Last Thursday, De Jong caught the game vs. Instant Holland Almere '90, but it was reported that he has a small tear in a muscle and will be out of action for at least a month. De Jong might probably injured himself during the Haarlem Baseball Week. On the other hand, Rodney Michel today returned to the line-up after having missed the last two games. Last Saturday, he dislocated his shoulder (which already happened before this season), but today he was able to play again.
(August 12)

Initially, it appeared that the game could be played. Pirates traveled to Rotterdam and encountered no rain on its way to the Sparta/Feyenoord-complex.
However, about a little over an hour before game time, just before Pirates was scheduled to start its batting practice, it started to rain and made the field unplayable.

Pirates would have started today with RHP Kevin Miner, who now will start on Sunday vs. Instant Holland Almere '90.
Sparta/Feyenoord planned to use RHP Satoru Fujii. Head Coach Wim Martinus didn't change his rotation, as Fujii moves with the game to Tuesday-evening.
(August 12)

ADO planned to use RHP Rob Cordemans to start against his former team. Cordemans now will start on Sunday vs. Mr. Cocker HCAW. A starter for Tuesday's make-up game has not yet been announced.
The starter for Neptunus was not yet announced. On Sunday, LHP Gregory Gustina will start, therefore LHP Diegomar Markwell probably will start on Tuesday-evening.
(August 12)

Pioniers is not known for hitting much homeruns. In 1999, the team hit 38 homeruns. Since 2000 (when aluminum bats were replaced again by wooden), Pioniers hit only 19, including two this season, hit by Dè Flanegin and Glenn Romney. Tonight, Pioniers added its third homerun of the season and it was an important one, as it turned a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning. With two outs and two runners on base, Norbert Lokhorst hit his first big league-homerun, which came in his 100th official at bat of this season. Lokhorst made his big league-debut in 2000, but has never hit a homerun in his previous 230 games in which he had 762 official at bats before tonight's game.

Pioniers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Mark Duursma then led off with a double, moved on a grounder by Marcel Venema and scored on a sac-fly by Glennsig Polonius.
The lead was doubled in the fifth at bat. With one out, Norbert Lokhorst singled, advanced on a grounder and scored on a single by Michael Duursma.

Almere came back with a run in the home fifth when Shaldimar Daantji singled with two outs, then scored when Eugene Kingsale followed with a triple. The home team came alongside in the next at bat. Pionier-starter Roger Kops then walked lead-off hitter Ivanon Coffie, who moved to second base on a 2-out single by pinch-hitter Ferd van Stekelenburg. Coffie scored on a single by Wesley Bernardus, which brought Van Stekelenburg to third base, while Bernardus advanced on a throwing error. Tommy van Limburg was brought in to relief Kops after which the inning ended when Ricky Daal lined out.

In the seventh inning, Pioniers got the bases loaded but failed to score. With one out, Norbert Lokhorst walked, after which Jerry Breek came in to relief starter Erik Remmerswaal. Lokhorst then stole second base and Jaïr Roseburg walked. After the two moved on a wild pitch, Breek struckout Michael Duursma, then loaded the bases by walking pinch-hitter Edwin de Graaf. Breek was relieved by veteran René Rijst, who ended the inning when Glenn Romney flied out.
In the home seventh, Almere took the lead by scoring twice. With one out, Eugene Kingsale walked and moved on a sac-bunt by Randy Daal, which resulted in another pitching change. Rookie Maxim Kerkmeer came in, but had some problems with his control. First, Kingsale advanced on a wild pitch, then Ivanon Coffie and Bryan Engelhardt both walked. All runners then moved on a passed ball and again after Kerkmeer balked, resulting in two runs and a 4-2 lead. Kerkmeer then ended the inning by striking out Giovanni Samboe.

Pioniers re-took the lead in the eighth inning. With one out, Mark Duursma reached on a bunt-single. Next, Marcel Venema struckout, but disagreed with the call and was ejected by Home Plate Umpire Fred Groenewegen. René Rijst then walked Glennsig Polonius with the fourth ball being a passed ball, enabling Duursma to reach third base. While trying to throw him out at third, Polonius moved to second base. Norbert Lokhorst then followed with his 3-run homerun to give Pioniers a 5-4 lead. Lokhorst was 3-for-3 tonight after hitting only 3-for-31 (.097) since after coming back from the CupWinners Cup Tournament in June.

Two runs were added in the ninth inning, in which also a protest was filed. René Rijst hit lead-off hitter Michael Duursma with a pitch, then everyone was safe on a fielder's choice grounder by Edwin de Graaf. Next batter Glenn Romney then popped out to catcher Giovanni Samboe, who threw the ball to second baseman Randy Daal, who tagged Duursma. Rookie umpire Richard Grabijn, who was added to the crew shortly before the game, called Duursma out, but arguments from Pioniers followed. The umpire crew decided to discuss the situation and afterwards decided that Duursma was safe after all. This led to Almere filing a protest against the decision to reverse the initial made call. With runners on first and second, next batter Dè Flanegin singled and produced a run. René Rijst was replaced by Martin Kuipers, who gave up a sac-fly to Mark Duursma that made it 7-4.
Dave Draijer, who took over for Maxim Kerkmeer with one out and a runner on first in the previous inning, started the ninth by hitting Eugene Kingsale with a pitch, but then retired the next three batters to end the game.
(August 12)

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