Veteran Johnny Balentina, who caught for Neptunus again today, added two basehits to bring his season-total to 52. As reported in Thursday's recap, Balentina then registered his 12th season with 50 or more hits to tie the all-time record shared by Marcel Joost and Jeffrey Cranston.
Lefthander Gregory Gustina threw eight strong innings for Neptunus, allowing only two basehits and striking out seven batters. Gustina gave up an infield-hit to Orson Slaats in the second inning, before retiring eight of the nine next batters. He then gave up a lead-off double to Jeroen Hermans, who moved on a sac-bunt by next batter Sil Wagenaar to become Sparta/Feyenoord's only runner to reach third base. In the sixth and seventh inning, Sparta/Feyenoord's lead-off hitter reached base, but Nick Eppinga (walk) and Orson Slaats (hit by pitch) would both strand on second base. Martijn Nijhoff pitched the ninth inning for Neptunus.

Neptunus got eleven basehits off starter Elton Koeiman. They opened the score with two runs in the second at bat. With one out, Jurriaan Korff singled, then Evert-Jan 't Hoen hit his first homerun of the season. Koeiman followed with two strikeouts.
Two runs were added in the third inning. Johnny Balentina led off with a double, then Benjamin Dille was hit by a pitch. The two runners then advanced on a double-steal, then Balentina scored on a grounder by Raily Legito. Next, Dille beat the throw to home on a fielder's choice-grounder by Yuji Nerei to make it 4-0, before a double play ended the inning.

In the sixth inning, Neptunus scored its fifth run. With one out, Yuji Nerei singled, then Lennart Koster reached on a bad-hop infield-hit off short stop Ramphis Trinidad, who had to leave the game. 2B Sjoerd Hermans took over at short, with centerfielder Rutger Veugelers coming in to play at second base. On the next play, a force play-grounder by Jurriaan Korff, Veugelers made a throwing error, enabling Nerei to score.
Three runs were scored in the seventh at bat. With one out, Johnny Balentina and Benjamin Dille singled, putting runners on second and third base. Raily Legito followed with a 2-run single and Yuji Nerei doubled. Next, Legito increased the lead to 9-0 on a grounder by Lennart Koster.
(August 13)

When the season resumed after the international break, ADO had to do without 1B Percy Isenia (one game), 3B Marvin Bleij (two games), OF Kalian Sams (four games) and coaches Robert John and Mike Crouwel (both one game), who were all suspended. On Saturday, August 5 and Sunday, August 6, ADO played vs. Instant Holland Almere '90, then on Thursday, August 10 vs. Corendon Kinheim. Yesterday's game vs. DOOR Neptunus rained out. But because ADO used an in-eligble player in the second game vs. Almere and against Kinheim, those games were declared invalid on Friday, meaning the suspensions were upheld. Isenia, John and Crouwel were all available again after last Saturday's game, having sit out their suspensions.
Bleij returned to the line-up on Thursday, but as that game was declared invalid, ADO was informed that he couldn't play in the first game after that, which was today's, since yesterday's was canceled. Also, because of the invalid games, Sams now has sit out only two of his four suspended games and isn't allowed to play in the next two games, scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday. ADO already announced that it also will play under protest in these games.
On Friday, ADO appealed the decision in which the games were declared invalid, causing the club to loose eight points. In case, the decision is reversed and the games become valid again, it would mean that the suspended players sit out additional games.

OK, back to the game in which both teams scored once in the opening at bat. With one out, HCAW-starter Nick Stuifbergen walked Maikel Benner, who advanced on a wild pitch, then scored when Harvey Monte followed with a double. Percy Isenia then also walked, but a double play made an end to ADO's at bat.
HCAW came alongside in its first inning. Ralph Milliard led off with a double, advanced on a grounder by Ronald Jaarsma and scored on a single by Gino Henson. Next, Henson was caught stealing and Bas de Jong grounded out.

While Nick Stuifbergen dominated after the first inning, ADO was able to take a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning. After giving up Monte's double in the first inning, Stuifbergen allowed only one more basehit in the next seven innings. The righthander struckout ten batters, including four in a row from the second through third inning. Starting with the first inning double play, Stuifbergen retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced. The lone batter to reach base was Maikel Benner, who singled in the third inning. In the sixth, Stuifbergen walked lead-off hitter Quensley Bazoer, which would lead to ADO's second run. Bazoer stole second base and moved to third when an error was made on an one-out grounder by Maikel Benner. He then scored on a force play-grounder by Harvey Monte.
On the other side, ADO-starter Rob Cordemans also did a fine job. After giving up two singles in the second inning, the righthander retired 11 of the next 13 batters, then gave up the tying run in the eighth inning. With one out, Ralph Milliard hit a foul ball off his foot with a 1-2 count. While it appeared he couldn't continue, he remained at bat and drew a walk. At first base, Milliard was replaced after all by pinch-runner Nick Makkinje, who then moved on a single by Ronald Jaarsma and scored on a 2-out single by Bas de Jong. The inning ended when Rodney Michel flied out, forcing extra innings.

Rookie Joep de Wit, who relieved Nick Stuifbergen with one out in the ninth, gave up a lead-off single to Berry van Driel in the tenth, who moved to third base on a sac-bunt and a grounder, but he stranded there after another grounder. In the eleventh inning, Shurty Tremus singled with one out and stole second base. Next, Maikel Benner walked. Harvey Monte then grounded back to De Wit, who forced out Benner at second base. Hereafter, a double play was completed, as Tremus was thrown out at the plate, trying to score.
ADO also turned a double in the tenth inning to support Robin van Doornspeek, who had relieved Rob Cordemans in the ninth inning. In the eleventh at bat, Van Doornspeek walked lead-off hitter Gino Henson, who moved on a passed ball. Next batter Bas de Jong flied out, but then Rodney Michel also walked. Jimmy Summers came in to relief Van Doornspeek and loaded the bases by hitting Kenny Berkenbosch with a pitch. Martijn Meeuwis followed with a single that ended the game and gave HCAW an important win in a possible crucial game in the Play-Off race. After earning his first career save yesterday, Joep de Wit today got his first big league-victory.
(August 13)

Pirates-starter Kevin Miner initially pitched strongly and maybe was left in the game one inning too much. The rookie righthander gave up a 2-out single to Ivanon Coffie in the first inning, but then retired the next 13 batters in a row, before walking lead-off hitter Frank van Leeuwen in the sixth inning. Miner walked another batter in that inning, but got support of a double play to get out of the inning. So far, Miner had given up only one basehit in six innings.
He returned to the mound in the seventh and gave up a lead-off single to Ivanon Coffie, who scored when Bryan Engelhardt followed with a double. Engelhardt reached third base when an outfield-error followed, then scored on a single by Giovanni Samboe. Miner was relieved by Maarten Mulder, but Almere had taken a 2-0 lead. Samboe moved on a sac-bunt by Ferd van Stekelenburg, stole third base, then scored the third run on a 2-out single by Ricky Daal.

Pirates had only five basehits off four pitchers. Four of them were hit off starter Forstin Coenraad, who threw seven innings. In the second inning, Björn Henrichs and Bas Nooij singled with two outs, but then Remco Draijer grounded out. In the third at bat, Tyson Arishenkoff tripled with two outs, but the inning ended when Boudewijn van Elswijk struckout. The next scoring opportunity came in the seventh inning when Fausto Álvarez Rizo led off with a walk and moved to third base on an error and a double play. Álvarez stranded on third base and was the last runner to get into scoring position for Pirates.
(August 13)

Pioniers rookie Erik Jan Lind took a Perfect Game into the sixth inning, as he retired the first 16 batters he faced in a row. But with one out in the sixth, four batters ended not only the Perfect Game, but also the No-Hitter and the shutout. First, Lind walked Wouter Heemskerk, then Floris Morang followed with the first Kinheim-basehit of the game. The bases were loaded when Quincy Bernardus also singled. Next, the first run was scored when René Cremer produced the third single in a row and marked the end for Lind. Tommy van Limburg took over and gave up another single, this time by Danny Rombley, that made it 2-0. A wild pitch lifted the lead to 3-0.

Kinheim then added two more runs in the seventh at bat. With one out, the bases were loaded when Tommy van Limburg walked Denny Beljaards and Floris Morang and hit Wouter Heemskerk with a pitch in between. Rookie Maxim Kerkmeer was brought in, but hit next batter Quincy Bernardus also with a pitch to bring in a run. A force play-grounder by René Cremer resulted in another run.
Kinheim scored its sixth run in the next inning when Edward Illidge singled with one out, moved on a single by Roel Koolen and scored on a grounder by Denny Beljaards.

Kinheim-starter Duko Jansen gave up only two basehits in his first start of the season, after being used in relief in his previous appearances. He gave up an one-out single to Mark Duursma in the first inning, but then a double play followed.
The second basehit came in the fifth inning when Marcel Venema led off with a single. After Lars Koehorst walked, the two runners got into scoring position after a sac-bunt, but then two grounders ended the at bat.
In the eighth inning, Michiel van Kampen took over for Jansen. With one out, he gave up a double to Michael Duursma, who moved on a single by Mark Duursma and then scored Pioniers' lone run on a force play-grounder by Glenn Romney.
(August 13)

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