Grand Slam
Softball Recaps
April 15, 2006
Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2006 by Marco Stoovelaar

Saturday, April 15
Opening Day
Centrals and TIW-Survivors homer to victory
EHS wins twice vs. Spikes
Dutch champion opens with two losses


Centrals and TIW-Survivors homer to victory
Nederlands | Line Scores | Box Score # 1 | Box Score # 2
Standings | Schedule | All Line Scores & Box Scores

DIEMEN (Neth.) - The opening games between TIW-Survivors and Centrals showed a lot of offensive power, as both teams combined on 34 basehits in their double-header, including 11 homeruns, two of which were grand slams.
At the end of the day, both teams had won a game. Centrals took the opener, 14-6, then TIW-Survivors won Game Two, 13-5. Both games ended in or after the fifth inning, because of the mercy-rule, but both lasted around two hours each.

The most productive player of the day was Centrals-outfielder Ciro Ricardo. He went 7-for-7, hit three homeruns, including a grand slam, also doubled, scored six runs and had ten RBI's. How about that for opening the new season and playing in your first game for a new team? Ricardo played for EHS the last few seasons and made an impressive start on Saturday. Last year, he hit four homeruns in the entire season, now he already has three. His ten RBI's in the first two games are half of what he had last season: 20.

In the first inning, Ciro Ricardo showed his power, as did his teammates. After Kamiel Zuidam and Joost de Bruin walked, Ricardo homered in his first at bat as a player for Centrals. After a groundout, Enrique Javier, who last season also played for EHS, did the same by also hitting a homerun, but went 'only' 3-for-4 in the game, while Ricardo was 4-for-4. The inning wasn't over yet. After a flyout, another homerun was hit, this time by Dennis van Brummelen, to make it 5-0.
Centrals added two runs in the next at bat. The bases were loaded by Michel Rowaan, Kamiel Zuidam (who both walked) and Joost de Bruin (error) when Ciro Ricardo delivered a 2-run single.
In the third, Joost de Bruin added an RBI-single to lift the score to 8-0, before TIW-Survivors did something back with two runs in the home third. With one out, Carlos Adamus singled and advanced when an error in rightfield followed. After Rody Stam reached on a bunt-single, Adamus scored on a throwing error. Moments later, Stam was caught stealing, but then Angelo Clemensia homered.
Centrals got one run back in the fourth inning. Ciro Ricardo doubled and went on to score on a throwing error.
Centrals then rallied for five more runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by a grand slam homerun by Ciro Ricardo to give him nine RBI's in this game.
Czech pitcher Roman Matuska struckout seven in his debut and earned his first win of the season.

In Game Two, it was Roman Matuska who highlighted the game with two homeruns, but despite that his team ended up short.
In the first inning, with two outs, Ciro Ricardo walked, then scored when Matuska homered.
This time, TIW-Survivors was able to come back immediately, as Ristro Petrus led off with a walk, then Carlos Adamus followed with a homerun to tie the score.
The team from Diemen took a 4-2 lead in the next at bat when four batters walked and a combination of passed balls, a wild pitch and stolen bases led to the two runs.
Centrals came back with a run in the third when Ciro Ricardo singled and scored on a single by Milton Gilbert, another former EHS-player.
TIW-Survivors answered with a 5-run rally to take a decisive 9-3 lead. Facing veteran pitcher Paja Boekhouder, who had taken over the inning before, Angelo Clemensia and Melvin Brown walked, then Pelle Wiersum singled to load the bases. Boekhouder was replaced by Roman Matuska, who struckout the first batter he faced, but the was greeted with a grand slam homerun by Angelo Clementina. Later in the at bat, Risto Petrus also scored when an error followed a single by Carlos Adamus. The inning ended when Rody Stam struckout. He argued the call by Home Plate Umpire Harm de Fonkert and was ejected.
In the fourth inning, four more runs were added, two on a double by Angelo Clementina, two on a homerun by Marlon Winklaar.
Centrals scored two more runs in the fifth on back-to-back homeruns by Ciro Ricardo and Roman Matuska, but that was all.
(April 15)


EHS wins twice vs. Spikes
Nederlands | Line Scores | Box Score # 1 | Box Score # 2
Standings | Schedule | All Line Scores & Box Scores

SPIJKENISSE (Neth.) - AIMS EHS opened the new season on Saturday by winning twice vs. Spikes, which returns to the big league this year. EHS won 5-2 and 11-1.

In the opener, EHS started with two runs in the first at bat. Jeffrey Visser led off the game with a single, advanced on a sac-bunt, then scored on a single by Michel Groenhart, who himself went on to score on a 2-out single by Eric Zomerdijk.
Three runs were added in the fourth inning off Arjan Baanen, who was hit hard in this at bat. Eric Zomerdijk led off with a triple, then scored on a single by Dave Hazel, which was followed by another triple. This time by Pim Winkel, who also had tripled in the second inning, but then stranded at third base. Winkel scored on a single by Erwin Visser, who made his debut for EHS.
After EHS left the bases behind loaded in the sixth inning, Spikes came back with two runs in the home sixth. Aad van der Landen led off with a walk, then the bases were loaded on singles by René Koelink and Ben ten Pas. A (out by rule) sac-fly and wild pitch gave Spikes its runs, but the team was unable to add more.
In his first game for EHS, winning pitcher Erwin Visser threw a 3-hitter and struckout ten batters.

In Game Two, EHS had eleven basehits, including four homeruns.
The team from Haarlem decided the game with a 7-run rally in the second inning. With one out, Eric Zomerdijk was hit by a pitch, moved on a single by Etiënne Meijer and scored on a single by Pim Winkel. With two outs, Erwin Visser delivered an RBI-single, then the bases were loaded when Maurice Meijer followed with a walk. Next, Anthony Beaumont hit a grand slam homerun, followed by a solo-homerun by Michel Groenhart to make it 7-0.
Spikes managed to score a run in the home third on an error, but the team had only two basehits off Eric Zomerdijk and that wasn't enough.
EHS added two runs in the fourth when Michel Groenhart homered again and Dave Hazel scored on a sac-fly. A homerun by Jeffrey Visser and an RBI-single by Michel Groenhart made it 11-1 in the fifth.
In the first game of this double-header, all nine EHS-players had at least one basehit. In Game Two, all nine EHS-players scored at least once.
(April 15)


Dutch champion opens with two losses
Nederlands | Line Scores | Box Score # 1 | Box Score # 2
Standings | Schedule | All Line Scores & Box Scores

THE HAGUE (Neth.) - Dutch champion Screenhouse Storks opened the new season with two losses. The team was beaten by Kokolishi, 11-1 and 10-7.
Kokolishi also had a productive day, collecting 20 basehits, including six homeruns. Kokolishi improved its roster in the off-season with some players of Thamen, which was forced to withdraw its team from the league as most players left.

In the opener, Kokolishi rallied for five runs in the opening at bat off Ed Hoet. He walked lead-off hitter and former Thamen-player Enio Kwas, who moved on a passed ball. With one out, Julius Veeris, last year's homerun king and MVP, opened his season with an RBI-double. Moments later, he scored when next batter Jeanric Ursula also doubled. An error enabled Gerald Dunlop to reach base, then Eugene Martha, also a former Thamen-player, followed with a 3-run homerun.
In the third, both teams scored. Kokolishi on an RBI-triple by former Thamen-player Roderick Postiena, Storks on a homerun by Steven Ketting. For Storks, this was its lone run, Kokolishi would add five more in the sixth inning.
In the sixth, the first run was scored on an error, then Jeanric Ursula added a 2-run single and Gerald Dunlop a 2-run homerun to make it 11-1.
Veteran pitcher Aldwin Bonafacio struckout seven batters and threw a 3-hitter.

In Game Two, Kokolishi again took an early lead. The team scored three runs in the first inning on four hits, then added three runs in the second inning, highlighted by a 2-run homerun by Julius Veeris, who led the league with 13 last season.
Storks also scored in its first two innings. In the first, Kenny Dame had an RBI-double, while in the second inning Geza Kovacs and Steven Ketting produced RBI-singles.
Storks narrowed Kokolishi's lead to 6-4 with a run in the third on an error. Kokolishi got the run back in the fourth when Enio Kwas homered.
Storks again kept in pace by scoring a run in the fifth on a basesloaded walk for Geza Kovacs, but then Kokolishi took more distance in the next two innings by scoring three runs. In the sixth, Anthony Hooi singled with two outs, then Enio Kwas hit his second homerun of the game. In the seventh, Eugene Martha hit his second homerun of the day.
Storks scored two runs in the home seventh on a single by Rob van der Vlist and a sac-fly, but was left empty handed at the end of the day.
(April 15)


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Last Update: April 19, 2006
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