...Sidney de Jong... ...connects for HCAW... (Photo: Ron Wicklert - www.eott.nl)

Neptunus initially trailed 2-0 after the first inning, but then rallied for five runs in the second inning to take charge of the game.
Things looked good for HCAW when the game was underway. Ronald Jaarsma and Gino Henson led off with singles, then Bart Gabriëls followed with a 2-run triple. But then Sidney de Jong grounded out and Gabriëls was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a grounder to third by Kenny Berkenbosch. A strikeout ended the inning and from that moment on 18-year old rookie starter Kevin Heijstek settled in and also was supported with two double plays. In the next six innings, he gave up five more basehits, including two doubles and a triple, which gave HCAW two more runs. But at that time, Neptunus was already leading 6-2 and 7-3.
In the home first, HCAW also turned a double play, but in the next at bat, starter Cliff Foster gave up five runs. Yuji Nerei led off with an infield-hit, then Evert-Jan 't Hoen walked. After a flyout, Jeffrey Arends singled to tie the score. With Arends on second (he advanced on the throw to home), Sape Wagenaar was hit by a pitch and Jeroen Sluijter struckout. But then Johnny Balentina singled to bring in the go-ahead run. The bases were loaded when Benjamin Dille also singled. An infield-hit by Raily Legito, followed by a throwing error, gave Neptunus two more runs to make it 5-2.
In the third inning, Neptunus added a run when Melfried Comenencia singled and scored on a double by Jeffrey Arends.

...Home Plate Umpire Marlo Remilia, who made his debut... ... behind the plate, is being hit by a foul ball off... ...the bat of Sape Wagenaar. Remilia was able to continue... ...but after the game his arm was swollen... (Photo: Ron Wicklert - www.eott.nl)

After leaving a runner on third base in the fourth inning, HCAW scored its third run in the sixth at bat. With one out, Sidney de Jong doubled and scored on a single by Kenny Berkenbosch.
Another run was scored in the seventh inning. Kevin Heijstek then gave up a lead-off triple to Martijn Meeuwis, who went on to score on a grounder by Nick Fridsma.
Before HCAW scored its fourth run, Neptunus already had taken a run back in the sixth when Johnny Balentina led off with a double and scored on a sac-fly by Raily Legito.

Leading 7-4, Neptunus rallied for three more runs in the eighth inning. Johnny Balentina, who was 3-for-5 and scored three runs, led of with an infield-hit, which led to the departure of Jurjen van Zijl, who had taken over for starter Cliff Foster in the fifth inning. New pitcher Kevin Roovers was welcomed with an RBI-triple by Benjamin Dille, who also had three hits. Raily Legito followed with an RBI-double. With two outs, Legito scored on a single by Melfried Comenencia, which was his third hit in the game and now has raised his career total to 499. Yuji Nerei was the fourth Neptunian who had three basehits in the game. The team collected 16 combined.
HCAW scored its last run in the ninth when Kenny Berkenbosch (3-for-4) singled and scored on a 2-out double by Nick Fridsma. That run was scored off Martijn Nijhoff, who made his first appearance after recovering from an injury and pitched the last two innings.
(May 14)

The coming back of Pioniers spoiled the one-hitter that Akira Okamoto pitched over seven innings. Thinking, ADO was leading comfortably, the Japanese pitcher was relieved after seven innings, but then things went wrong and ADO even appeared to end up as the losing team. In the end, ADO managed to win the game, but Okamoto ended up with a no-decision.
ADO opened the score in the first inning. Jermaine Esprit led off with a triple and scored when next batter Maikel Benner grounded out.
Two innings later, two runs were added. Again it was Jermaine Esprit who started things. He led off with a walk, then moved on a sac-bunt by Maikel Benner, who himself was safe on a throwing error by starting pitcher Daniël Overbeek. Next, Overbeek had a 2-0 count on batter Harvey Monte, with the second ball resulting in a wild pitch that moved the two runners. Overbeek was replaced hereafter by Erik Jan Lind, a former First Division-veteran, who made his big league-debut today and completed Monte's at bat. Monte grounded out, but Esprit was able to score. After a another grounder and a walk, Benner scored on a single by Kalian Sams.
The lead was raised to 4-0 in the fifth inning. With one out, Harvey Monte singled, as did Percy Isenia. Monte advanced to third base on the single, then scored when the throw to second base ended in an error. Erik Jan Lind then retired nine of the next eleven batters, before being relieved in the eighth inning.

In its first seven innings, Pioniers couldn't do much off starter Akira Okamoto, who pitched five hitless innings, before giving up a lead-off single to Jefferson Muzo in the sixth inning. In the third inning, Okamoto had walked two batters, but then Edwin de Graaf lined into an inning-ending double play. After giving the single to Muzo in the sixth, the Japanese righthander followed with a strikeout, then issued another walk. But then he retired the next five batters and was relieved by Jurrian Koks, who started the eighth inning.
Koks got two quick outs, but then walked Michael Duursma and Edwin de Graaf, then gave up a single to Mark Duursma, which was followed by an error from centerfielder Harvey Monte, that gave Pioniers two runs.
In the ninth inning, closer Robin van Doornspeek took over for ADO with a 4-2 lead, but ended up with a Blown Save. He gave up a lead-off single to Glenn Romney, then struckout Glennsig Polonius, which was followed by a single from Norbert Lokhorst. Mark-Jan Moorman then followed with a 2-run double that tied the score and marked the end for Van Doornspeek. Jimmy Summers came in, gave up a single to Marcel Venema, but no more additional runs. But as the score was tied, extra innings would have to bring the decision.

In the eleventh inning, Pioniers took a 5-4 lead. With one out, Marcel venema singled and Michael Duursma walked. Duursma was then forced out on a grounder by Edwin de Graaf on which Venema advanced to third base. Next, Mark Duursma also hit a grounder, which could have end the inning, but second baseman Berry van Driel made an error, which gave Pioniers a 5-4 lead.
ADO then managed to come back with two outs in the home of the eleventh inning off Dave Draijer, who had entered the game in the tenth inning. With two outs, Berry van Driel and Shurty Tremus singled, then the first scored the tying run when Jermaine Esprit also singled. With runners on first and third, Maikel Benner walked, loading the bases. The winning run was then scored on a perfect bunt-single by Harvey Monte, ending the game.
(May 14)

Pirates came close to its first run in the second inning. Ralph Lagas led off with a walk, moved on a wild pitch and reached third base on a one-out single by Boudewijn van Elswijk, but then two outs followed.
In the third inning, it was Kinheim that opened the score instead. Starter Kevin Miner struckout Denny Beljaards, then walked Danny Rombley, who moved on a passed ball, then stole third base. Next, René Cremer flied out. With two outs, Dirk van 't Klooster struckout, but catcher Bas Nooij didn't had the ball under control. He then made a mental error, which proved to be crucial. Instead of throwing to first base to retire Van 't Klooster and end the inning, Nooij opted to go after Rombley, who came running towards home from third base. Nooij threw the ball to third baseman Roderick Simon, who threw it back to Nooij. Rombley was close to being tagged out, but came in running hard (some say to hard) and ran over Nooij, who lost the ball. Van 't Klooster ended up on second base on the play and moments later scored on a single by Tjerk Smeets, who himself suffered an injury after a hard collision two seasons ago. In the opening game, Smeets, then catcher for Pirates, was ran over hard at home by Raily Legito (Neptunus), hit his head on the ground, was even briefly unconcious and was out for a month.

Kinheim added a run in the fifth inning. René Cremer was hit by a pitch, then Dirk van 't Klooster singled. Cremer scored when Tjerk Smeets also singled. Kevin Miner was then relieved by Robin Franken, who had a fine reaction when Edward Illidge lined back to him and turned it into a double play.
In the sixth inning, Pirates started to come back. Kinheim-starter David Bergman gave up singles to Roderick Simon and Tyson Arishenkoff, who then advanced on a sac-bunt by Ralph Lagas. Fausto Álvarez followed with an RBI-single, then Arishenkoff scored on a sac-fly by Boudewijn van Elswijk.
But Kinheim got a run back in the seventh inning. Dirk van 't Klooster led off with a single. Then the bases were loaded when Edward Illidge singled with one out and Robin Longhurst walked with two outs. Bobbie van Duuren took over the pitching, but gave up an RBI-single to Floris Morang.

Trailing 4-2, Pirates scored again in the eighth inning off Duko Jansen, who relieved David Bergman. After striking out the first two batters, Jansen gave up a towering double to Ralph Lagas. Next, Fausto Álvarez singled, followed by an error by leftfielder Denny Beljaards, that enabled Lagas to score. While rounding first base and on his way to second base, Álvarez injured his leg and could be tagged out easily to end the inning, not being able to return in time to first base.
Again, Kinheim got the run back immediately. Bobbie van Duuren walked Danny Rombley and was relieved by Maarten Mulder, who had recovered from an injury. A throwing error was then made on a sac-bunt by René Cremer that brought Rombley to third base. Moments later, he scored on a sac-fly by Edward Illidge.

Pirates was then close to taking the lead in the ninth inning. Boudewijn van Elswijk, who was 3-for-3, led off with a single and advanced on a sac-bunt by Kevin Gerard and a single by Remco Draijer. Pinch-hitter Edsel Martis then popped up behind third base, but the ball was missed by short stop René Cremer, enabling Van Elswijk to score. Derick Francisca then bunted and ended up with a bunt-single as the ball came to a stop just before the foul line just out of the batting circle. The only thing catcher Tjerk Smeets could do was watching the ball come to a top on fair territory. With runners on first and second base, Roderick Simon lined towards second base, where Cremer fielded the ball and started a game-ending double play. Much to the relief of Kinheim.
(May 14)

Sparta/Feyenoord took a 2-0 lead in the third inning, but then also left three runners behind. Patrick Wabbijn led off with a single and was awarded second base when starter Forstin Coenraad balked. Wabbijn advanced to third on a single by Earmy Isabella, then scored when Ramphis Trinidad also singled. After Isabella was forced out at third on a grounder by Dwayne Kemp, Sjoerd Hermans followed with an RBI-double to make it 2-0. Coenraad then struckout Rutger Veugelers, but walked Jeffrey Sprott to load the bases. But a pop-fly by Orson Slaats ended the at bat, stranding three runners.
In the fourth inning, Sparta/Feyenoord failed to add more runs, as the team again left three runners behind.

Almere also left its share of runners. In the first, they got the bases loaded with two outs, but then a flyout ended the inning. In the third, two more runners were left behind. In the fourth, Jeffrey de Vrieze and Shaldimar Daantji walked with two outs and advanced on a wild pitch by Satoru Fujii, who then struckout Eugene Kingsale to end the inning. Kingsale argued the called third strike and was ejected by Home Plate Umpire Henri van Heijningen.
In the seventh inning, Almere scored its first run, as they again reached base with two outs. Wesley Bernardus then walked and scored when Randy Daal followed with a double. Trying to stretch it into a triple, Daal was thrown out at third base.

Both teams scored twice in the eighth inning. With one out, Earmy Isabella doubled for Sparta/Feyenoord off René Rijst, who had taken over for Forstin Coenraad in the fifth inning. A throwing error was then made on a grounder by Ramphis Trinidad, enabling Isabella to score. Trinidad himself later scored on a sac-fly by Dwayne Kemp.
In the home eighth, Almere came back with two runs. Ivanon Coffie and Bryan Engelhardt both singled to lead off the at bat. Coffie then scored on a wild pitch, while Engelhardt scored on a grounder by Sidney Ensermo.
In the home ninth, Jason Halman reached on an error and was replaced at first by pinch-runner Derrick Isenia (a pitcher!), who advanced on a sac-bunt by Shaldimar Daantji. Satoru Fujii then walked his eighth batter in the game, to raise his league-leading total to 27. But Randy Daal then grounded into a double play that ended the game.
(May 14)

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