 ROTTERDAM (Neth.) - DOOR Neptunus took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning, but went on to win 'only' 5-3 vs. MediaMonks RCH on Sunday in their home opener of the 2008 season.
A major part in the game was played by Neptunus' starting pitcher Diegomar Markwell. The lefthander dominated for six innings in which he gave up only one basehit, but also faced only 18 batters, the minimum for six innings and used only 63 pitches. Three RCH-batters reached base, but all were retired on the bases, two of them in a double play.
Neptunus appeared to be en route to their first runs in the first inning when RCH-starter Jean-Paul Gulinck walked the first two batters he faced, Eugene Kingsale and Benjamin Dille, but the lefthander then got three quick outs. In the second inning, lead-off batter Andy Leer reached on an error, which would result in the first of two unearned runs. Leer advanced on a single by Jeroen Sluijter, then the two moved on a passed ball. Gulinck struckout next batter Mike Bazuin, but then gave up a 2-run double to Eugene Kingsale. Gulinck, who last season pitched for Dutch champion Corendon Kinheim, then retired six of the next seven batters, before giving up a lead-off single to Kingsale in the fifth inning. Benjamin Dille then walked and Raily Legito followed with an RBI-single, which resulted in a pitching change. Jimmy van der Veldt, another former Kinheim-pitcher, took over, got a foul-fly out of next batter Lennart Koster, but then gave up an RBI-single to Martijn Meeuwis to make it 4-0.
Neptunus-starter Diegomar Markwell retired the first seven batters he faced, before Reggie Valpoort registered his first big league-single with one out in the third inning. However, Valpoort was caught stealing moments later and Markwell retired the next five batters in order again. In the fifth, the lefthander walked Floris Morang with one out, but he also was caught stealing in a double play after Robin Longhurst (who also played for Kinheim last season) struckout. In the sixth, Markwell walked lead-off hitter Lex Leijenaar, but he also was retired, as next batter Reggie Valpoort lined into a double play to second baseman Benjamin Dille.
In the seventh inning, Jurjen van Zijl took over for Markwell and would give up two runs. After a pop-fly was missed on foul territory, Nick Heij led off with a single, then scored when Jakub Malik homered with one out. Neptunus got one run back in its seventh when Lennart Koster led off with a triple and scored on a grounder by Martijn Meeuwis.
RCH narrowed the deficit to 5-3 with a run in the ninth inning off closer Berry van Driel. After the Neptunian defense had turned its third double play, Van Driel, who last season pitched for ADO, gave up a single to Petr Baroch, who then stole second base, reached third on a passed ball and advanced when the throw to third went into leftfield. The passed ball also enabled batter Jakub Malik to reach base after striking out, but then the game ended when Van Driel struckout Ferd van Stekelenburg.
(April 13)
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