Again, HCAW made changes to its starting line-up. Veterans Rodney Michel and Gino Henson didn't play. Rookie Nick Makkinje, who yesterday returned to the line-up for the first time since he suffered a hamstring-injury on May 21, today played in rightfield again, just as yesterday. Regular rightfielder Bas de Jong again was the DH, as he also still has a slight injury. Sebastiaan Olgers, another rookie, was added again from the second team and played at first base instead of Henson. Bart Gabriëls played on third base again (just like yesterday). Last Sunday, he had to be scratched from the line-up when he was hit in his face by a ball during batting practice. Today, Head Coach Patrick Vielvoye had to replace another player shortly before game time due to an injury. Martijn Meeuwis originally was in the line-up as the starting centerfielder, but was taken out, also because of an injury. Ronald Jaarsma therefore moved from left to center, while rookie Diederik Klaassen took over in leftfield and made his big league-debut. Because of the injury, Vielvoye also slightly adjusted his batting order. Recently, Ralph Milliard, Ronald Jaarsma, Sidney de Jong, Bas de Jong and Bart Gabriëls, today's first five HCAW-batters, all suffered slight injuries. Besides this, Kevin Roovers, one of the pitchers, also is unable to throw due to an injury.

Despite all this, HCAW today hold onto a 1-0 lead, which was accomplished in the fifth inning. Unlike yesterday, HCAW got the most scoring chances today, but stranded 12 runners, including six in scoring position.
After leaving two runners in the first inning, HCAW got its first two batters on base in the second at bat when rookies Sebastiaan Olgers and Nick Makkinje singled. The two advanced on a sac-bunt by Diederik Klaassen, but two grounders ended the inning.
In the third inning, Ronald Jaarsma led off with a nice bunt-single, but was caught stealing moments later after a pick-off.
In the fourth inning, Nick Makkinje doubled with two outs, then Diederik Klaassen followed with his first big league-hit, but the two were left after another grounder.

In the fifth inning, HCAW opened the score. With one out, Ronald Jaarsma doubled, then Sidney de Jong was awarded first base for a hit by pitch and appeared to look surprised for that decision. With runners on first and second base, Bas de Jong singled to bring in Jaarsma and gave HCAW a 1-0 lead. A force play-grounder by Bart Gabriëls followed, then the bases were loaded when Pirates-starter Kevin Miner walked Sebastiaan Olgers. The three runners stranded when a groundout also ended this at bat.
In the next four innings, HCAW got only three more baserunners, but not of them went beyond first base.

Pirates had less luck off starter Nick Stuifbergen, who pitched seven fine innings. In the third inning, Pirates got two runners on. With one out, rookies Bas Nooij and Remco Draijer singled, but Stuifbergen ended the inning with a strikeout and a flyout.
In the fourth inning, Fausto Álvarez doubled with two outs, but stranded at second.
In the seventh inning, Ralph Lagas, who returned to the starting line-up after not having started the previous four games, was on first base with one out. But then pinch-hitter Derick Francisca flied into a double play. Francisca, who yesterday was 3-for-4 and had an outstanding catch in leftfield, didn't start today. Yesterday, he was hit by a pitch.
The next scoring opportunity for Pirates came in the eighth inning off new pitcher Jos de Jong. With two outs, the righthander walked two batters, but Tyson Arishenkoff then flied out.
In the next inning, Kenny Berkenbosch became HCAW's third pitcher. He gave up a lead-off single to Boudewijn van Elswijk, but then struckout Fausto Álvarez, Ralph Lagas and Derick Francisca, three of Pirates' most powerful batters, who were to anxious to hit. With this, Berkenbosch ended the game and earned his second save of the season.
(June 18)

ADO again got a lot of runners on base (19), but today scored three runs and hold onto a lead. But the team also stranded 11 runners.
In the second inning, ADO had the bases loaded with only one out, but then Maikel Benner grounded into a 5-2-3 double play to end the at bat.

ADO opened the score with two runs in the third inning. With one out, Jermaine Esprit reached on an infield-hit, then advanced to third base on a single by Shurty Tremus, which was followed by an error in leftfield which brought him to second base. Esprit then scored on a sac-fly by Berry van Driel on which Tremus reached third base. Next, Tremus scored the second run when a throwing error was made on a grounder by Percy Isenia. Harvey Monte, who was 3-for-4, then singled, but a force play-grounder ended the at bat.
ADO left a runner at third base in the fourth inning, then Sparta/Feyenoord turned a double play in both the fifth and sixth inning.
In the seventh inning, ADO added a run. With one out, Shurty Tremus and Berry van Driel singled. Tremus then scored on a sac-fly by Percy Isenia to make it 3-0.

Both teams used only ten players in the game. No changes were made, including to the pitching, as starters Akira Okamoto (ADO) and Elton Koeiman (Sparta/Feyenoord) both went the distance.
Koeiman gave up 12 basehits and struckout none. Okamoto struckout seven batters and gave up only three basehits to win his fifth game of the season. The Japanese righthander threw another fine game and retired the first 13 batters he faced, before he walked Sjoerd Hermans in the fifth inning and gave up an infield-hit to Orson Slaats, but then two groundouts followed. In the sixth inning, he was supported with a double play.
Sparta/Feyenoord today played without its regular short stop Ramphis Trinidad and ADO without its leftfielder James Rutherford, who both were injured.
(June 18)

...Edward Illidge... ...game-winning... ...homerun... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

Kinheim-starter David Bergman pitched a fine game, giving up only five basehits in seven innings, in which he struckout five batters.
Almere got a runner on base with one in the first and second inning, but didn't score then.
In the fourth inning, Bryan Engelhardt homered with one out to give Almere a 1-0 lead. This was Engelhardt's second homerun in two days and fourth of the season to lead the league.
In the remainder of the game, Almere would reach base six more times, but no runners would reach beyond first base.
Almere this weekend played without outfielder Eugene Kingsale, who injured himself last weekend.

Kinheim got runners on in the first three innings, but also was unable to score.
In the first inning, ADO turned a double play. In the second inning, lead-off hitter Tjerk Smeets reached on an error, but stranded on third base.
In the third inning, Danny Rombley singled with two outs and René Cremer was hit by a pitch. The two were awarded the next base on a balk by Derrick Isenia, but then Dirk van 't Klooster flied out. In the fifth inning, ADO turned another double play.
Trailing 1-0, Kinheim took the lead in the sixth at bat. René Cremer led off with a double, but then two groundouts followed. Next, Edward Illidge hit a 2-run homerun to give Kinheim a 2-1 lead.
Kinheim added a run in the seventh inning. Wouter Heemskerk led off with a double, reached third base on a wild pitch, then scored on an one-out single by Danny Rombley, who moments later himself was picked off first base. The 3-1 score eventually also was the final score.
Duko Jansen threw the eighth inning for Kinheim, then closer Michiel van Kampen took over in the ninth and earned his sixth save to lead the league.
(June 18)

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