 AMSTERDAM (Neth.) - Today, the roles were reversed between L&D Amsterdam and DOOR Neptunus. Yesterday, a wild pitch contributed to a 3-1 victory for Neptunus, today, the same happened in a 3-1 win for Amsterdam on the day that this city celebrated its 200th anniversary being the capital of the Netherlands.
In the attractive game, the Amsterdam-team outhit Neptunus 12-5, but scored only three runs, as they left eleven runners behind. The number 3 and 4 hitters, respectively Sidney de Jong (four times) and Ryan Murphy reached base seven times combined, but stranded each time. Neptunus reached base most of the time in the first three innings of the game. In these three at bats, nine Neptunians reached base, in the latter six innings only two more would reach base.
It was Neptunus that opened the score in the second inning. In the first inning, Amsterdam's second baseman Zaïr Koeiman made two nice plays, but then an error an a single gave Neptunus two baserunners. The two runners, however, stranded as starter Kenny Berkenbosch struckout Martijn Meeuwis. The Rotterdam-team then got another chance in the next inning. Jeffrey Arends led off with a single, then Andy Leer reached on a bad-hop infield-hit, which could have been a double play-grounder. Arends was then forced out at third on a grounder by Jeroen Sluijter, but Mike Bazuin then followed with his first single of the season to bring in the first run.
...Benjamin Dille is caught stealing in the 4th...
...Marvin Bleij puts on the tag...
(Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
A double play on a grounder by Eugene Kingsale ended the inning and also the last scoring opportunity for Neptunus. In the third two batters walked, but the first was caught stealing, then the second forced out.
Amsterdam-starter Kenny Berkenbosch again had a fine outing, as he retired eleven batters in a row from the third into the seventh inning, before hitting Jeroen Sluijter with two outs. Next, Sluijter was waved home trying to score on a double by Mike Bazuin, but was thrown out at the plate on a throw by leftfielder Maikel Benner, relayed by short stop Marvin Bleij to catcher Sidney de Jong. Ryan Murphy took over the pitching in the remaining two innings and retired all six batters he faced, including two with a strikeout to earn his first save in an Amsterdam-uniform.
Amsterdam left three runners behind in scoring position in the first three innings, before coming alongside in the fourth. In the first inning, a walk and a single gave Pirates two runners, but both stranded. In the next inning, Marvin Bleij doubled with one out, but then two outs followed. And in the third, Maikel Benner singled and was picked off, followed by a double by Sidney de Jong, but again, Neptunus prevented the home team from scoring. But that did happen in the fourth inning when Bas de Jong hit an one-out homerun off starter Diegomar Markwell to tie the game. In the fifth inning, Amsterdam again got two batters on base with two outs, but once more they were left behind. In the sixth, Markwell was supported with a double play, leaving the score at 1-1.
...Zair Koeiman scores the go-ahead run in the 7th inning...
...on a wild pitch by Jurjen van Zijl, who looks on at the right...
...Sidney de Jong tells Koeiman what to do...
(Photo: www.reni-foto.nl) |
Jurjen van Zijl then took over the pitching in the seventh inning and ran into problems almost immediately. He struckout led-off batter Zaïr Koeiman, but as the third strike was a wild pitch, the batter reached first base safely. Wesley Connor followed with a single, then the two runners advanced on a sac-bunt by Maikel Benner. With runners on second and third base, Van Zijl was set to walk Sidney de Jong intentionally, but his first delivery went over catcher Martijn Meeuwis for a wild pitch, enabling Koeiman to score the go-ahead run. With Connor now on third base, De Jong received a regular walk, then Ryan Murphy lined a single through the infield to make it 3-1. Murphy went 3-for-4, as did Marvin Bleij. Van Zijl was relieved by Gregory Gustina and the big lefthander struckout the next two batters to end the inning, but the damage had been done. To be complete, Amsterdam stranded two more runners in the eighth inning, but left the field as the victorious team.
(April 20)
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