In the second inning, three players who were added to the Neptunus-roster after last season, contributed in the 2-0 lead. Jurriaan Korff made his Neptunian debut with a basehit, then moved when Jeffrey Arends walked. Korff last season played for Instant Holland Almere '90, Arends came back to the club after having played one season for Sparta/Feyenoord. With one out, Lennart Koster singled, enabling Korff and Arends to score. Koster already appeared in some games of Neptunus last year, but this season will be a fulltime player with the squad.
In the third inning, Gryphons answered with three runs off RHP Leon de Bijl, who started the inning in relief of starter Martijn Nijhoff. While it was initially announced that LHP Jan Naterop (a reliever) would starter today, righthander Nijhoff started instead. In his three innings, Nijhoff gave up only one basehit and struckout two. De Bijl was less successful. He also gave up only one basehit and also struckout two batters, but also walked three batters. Besides that, the Neptunian defense committed three errors, resulting in three unearned runs. In the inning, Niels Brokken led off the inning with a walk. With one out, Bart Groenewoud also walked. Next, an error was made on a force play-grounder by Tom van der Meer, resulting in a run. The bases were loaded when a fly ball by Paul Bleker was missed in centerfield. Next batter Wouter van de Bom then singled to bring in the tying run and on a throwing error to second base, Gryphons took a 3-2 lead.

However, the 3-2 lead was shortlived for Gryphons. In the home fourth, Neptunus came back immediately and scored three runs to take a 5-3 lead. Paul van Aerle, who entered the game the inning before in relief of starter Marc van der Meer, walked three batters in this inning to give Neptunus a scoring opportunity. All three runners then scored when rookie Sape Wagenaar hit a baseclearing double. Towards the end of last season, Wagenaar already played some games for the main squad, but this season will be one of the catchers.
Neptunus finished the game with two southpaws. In the fifth inning, leading 5-3, Ferenc Jongejan took over for De Bijl. In the lone inning he pitched, he struckout one and walked one. For Jongejan, this was his first pitching appearance in over a year. His missed the entire last season, as he was recovering from a shoulder-injury. In 2004, his professional career with the Chicago Cubs-organization was cut short because of an injury. While recovering, Jongejan was a member of the coachingstaff with Neptunus, coaching at first base. The last two innings were pitched by Gregory Gustina, who came over from Kinheim.

On Sunday, Neptunus will play at home against Brasschaat Braves from Belgium. Gryphons, which is being coached by former Dutch big leaguer Harm Wilms (PSV, Pirates) this season, has no game planned for Sunday.
(March 18)

The big league-team opened the score in the second inning. Newcomer Boudewijn van Elswijk, who last season played for ADO (then-Tornado's), led off with a double and reached third base on a failed pick-off attempt. He then scored on a sacrifice fly by Fausto Alvarez.
The lead was increased to 3-0 in the third at bat. With one out, rookie Kevin Gerard singled and moved to third base on a single by Björn Henrichs. After Henrichs had stolen second base, a grounder by Roderick Simon was misplayed, enabling Gerard to score. Simon also is a newcomer in Amsterdam, as he played for Kinheim last season. Next, a grounder by Tyson Arishenkoff ended in a force out at second base, but Henrichs was able to score.

Pirates-2 came back with a run in the home third. In the first inning, they already had the bases loaded, but starter Tom Stuifbergen then pitched himself out of that jam. With runners on first and second an one out, he struckout Bobby van Duuren, but then loaded the bases with a walk. He then ended the inning with another strikeout, this time for Sergino Martis.
But in the third inning, the second team scored a run. New pitcher Pim Walsma walked lead-off hitter Giovanni Josefa, who then stole second base. Next, he also stole third base and was able to score, as the pitch resulted in a passed ball.
In the fourth inning, Pirates got the bases loaded with two outs, but failed to score, but then added two runs in the fifth inning. With one out, Tyson Arishenkoff walked and stole second, then scored on the second double in the game by Boudewijn van Elswijk, who was 3-for-4 in his Pirates-debut. After he moved on a groundout, Van Elswijk scored himself on a single by Mark Kan.
Pirates-2 scored its second run in the seventh inning off Maarten Mulder. With two outs, Marcel Timmer doubled and scored when an error was made on a fly by Bobby Heij.

On Sunday, Pirates will play at home against Instant Holland Almere '90.
(March 18)

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