HCAW was close to scoring the first run in the first inning, but left the bases loaded. Ronald Jaarsma led off with a single, then the bases were loaded when Bart Gabriëls singled with one out and Sidney de Jong walked. But then Kenny Berkenbosch was caught out by the second baseman and a short grounder in front of the catcher by Bas de Jong ended in a force out at home to close the inning.
ADO then also stranded three runners in its first at bat, but had more luck as they did succeed in opening the score. Jermaine Esprit led off with a single, was awarded second base on a balk and advanced on a single by Maikel Benner. Then Harvey Monte grounded into a double play, but Esprit was able to score the first run. Next, ADO loaded the bases on two walks and a single, but the inning ended when Marvin Bleij flied out.

ADO-starter Rob Cordemans recovered from the busy first inning and retired nine batters in a row from the second through fourth inning. But in the fifth, he gave up four hits, but that resulted in only one run. Nick Fridsma and Nick Makkinje led off with singles. Fridsma was then forced out at third base on a grounder by Dimitri Leon, but the bases were loaded (again) when Ronald Jaarsma singled. Martijn Meeuwis followed with a single that tied the score. That was to be the only run, as a double play ended the inning.

ADO was able to re-take the lead immediately in the home fifth when HCAW-starter Cliff Foster had problems with his control. Harvey Monte led off with a single and Percy Isenia walked. With one out, the bases were loaded when Kalian Sams also walked. With a 1-2 count on next batter Marvin Bleij, Foster threw a wild pitch that enabled Monte to score the go-ahead run. It was decided to relief Foster at that moment. He was replaced by Nick Stuifbergen, who completed the at bat and struckout Bleij. In the remainder of the game, Stuifbergen would allow only one more batter to reach base (on a walk) and struckout six batters. Cliff Foster today hadn't his best outing, as he walked five, gave up eight hits and two earned runs, while having two wild pitches and a balk.
In the ninth inning, HCAW was close to the tying run when Robin van Doornspeek took over for Rob Cordemans. Van Doornspeek walked Kenny Berkenbosch, then Nick Fridsma with one out and pinch-hitter Rodney Michel with two outs. The appearance by Michel was a surprise, as it was expected that he would be out for at least a month after he dislocated his shoulder last weekend. With the bases loaded and two outs, the game ended when Van Doornspeek struckout Ronald Jaarsma with a called third strike.
(May 20)

The tone was set and the game was decided right away in the first inning. Pionier-starter Roger Kops didn't survive that first at bat and was credited with seven earned runs. By the way, all 17 runs were earned. The inning started with a flyout, but then the next nine batters would reach base, resulting in a 7-run rally. With one out, the bases were loaded on two singles and a walk, then Roger Kops walked Edward Illidge to bring in the first run. Roel Koolen followed with an RBI-single and because Glenn Romney committed an error in centerfield, an additional run could be scored. The bases were again loaded when Robin Longhurst also walked. The score was lifted to 4-0 when Wouter Heemskerk singled. That marked the end for Kops, who was relieved by Erik Jan Lind. The righthanded rookie was greeted with a 2-run single by Denny Beljaards and an RBI-single by Danny Rombley, that completed the line for Kops and gave Kinheim a 7-0 lead. The inning then ended when René Cremer grounded in a double play.
Two runs were added in the second inning on a basesloaded, 2-run single by Robin Longhurst. Kinheim now was leading 9-0, but the scoring was far from over.

After Lind's successor Tommy van Limburg threw two scoreless innings, Kinheim added a run in the fifth. With one out, René Cremer doubled after which Van Limburg was relieved by Mark-Jan Moorman. After a groundout, Moorman gave up an RBI-double to Tjerk Smeets that made it 10-0.
Kinheim then again had a 7-run rally in the sixth at bat on six basehits. Roel Koolen led off with a double, who, after Robin Longhurst walked, scored on a single by Wouter Heemskerk. After pinch-hitter Quincy Bernardus also walked and loaded the bases, Danny Rombley followed with a baseclearing, 3-run double. With one out, Rombley scored on a single by Dirk van 't Klooster, who himself scored on a 2-out double by Jeffrey Verbij. Mark-Jan Moorman, who was left throwing in this inning, then gave up an RBI-single to Roel Koolen that lifted the lead to 17-0.

And how about Pioniers? The team had only five basehits off Patrick Beljaards (six innings) and Duko Jansen (one inning), who didn't strikeout a batter. Pioniers reached base eleven times and left nine runners behind, including five in scoring position. Only one player reached third base and that happened in the fifth inning when Jaïr Roseburg led off with a single and moved on a walk and a grounder, but then was left at third base.
(May 20)

...Melfried Comenencia... ...500th career basehit... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

Neptunus opened the score in the second inning. First, Yuji Nerei led off with a double. With one out, the bases were loaded when Sparta/Feyenoord-starter and former Neptunian Daan Baecke walked Melfried Comenencia and Jeffrey Arends. Baecke then threw a wild pitch on which Nerei scored, but after picking up the ball catcher Earmy Isabella made a throwing error back to the covering Baecke, enabling Comenencia also to score.
In the third inning, five runs were added when Baecke had problems with his control again. He walked the first three batters in this inning, then gave up a sac-fly to Yuji Nerei and re-load the bases by also walking next batter Jurriaan Korff. Veteran Melfried Comenencia then followed with his 500th career basehit, a 2-run single that lifted the lead to 5-0. Jeffrey Arends made it 6-0 when he also singled and that marked the end for Baecke, who was relieved by Rudy Seebus. The rookie walked Sape Wagenaar, meaning the bases were loaded again, then gave up a run when Jeroen Sluijter hit a sacrifice fly.

A 4-run rally was accomplished in the fourth inning. Benjamin Dille led off with a double and moved on a single by Raily Legito, who was forced out at second on a grounder by Yuji Nerei, but Dille scored. The bases were loaded when Jurriaan Korff and pinch-hitter Lennart Koster singled, then were cleared by a 3-run double by Jeffrey Arends, who was 3-for-3 and had four RBI's.
Neptunus scored three runs in the fifth inning to increase its lead to 14-0. In this inning, the first run was scored on an infield-hit by Yuji Nerei, who also had four RBI's, went 3-for-4 and scored three runs. The other two runs were scored on RBI-singles by Lennart Koster and Jeffrey Arends.

Sparta/Feyenoord then finally scored its first runs in the sixth inning after Neptunus-starter Diegomar Markwell had been relieved. In the first five innings, the lefthander had given up five hits and struckout five. In the sixth, Leon de Bijl took over for his first appearance of the season. With one out, he saw Jeffrey Sprott reach base on an error, then walked pinch-hitter Marwin Kleinmoedig with two outs and gave up RBI-singles to Sil Wagenaar and Earmy Isabella.
Neptunus got one run back in the sixth on a 2-out, RBI-single by Yuji Nerei.
Sparta/Feyenoord managed to add three runs in the seventh inning, but couldn't avoid a big loss. In the seventh, Leon de Bijl walked two batters and gave up a single and was relieved by Martijn Nijhoff, who gave up RBI-singles to Jeroen Hermans and Sil Wagenaar. The third run was scored on an error.
(May 20)

Pirates could have win the game within the nine innings, but failed to hold onto a lead twice.
In the first inning, Almere took a 1-0 lead when Randy Daal singled with one out, stole second and scored on a 2-out double by Bryan Engelhardt. While Almere reached base frequently, Pirates-starter Robbert van der Pol was able to keep powerhitter Ivanon Coffie off base. The righthander, who made his first start in the big league, did a fine job and got solid support from his defense. For instance, in the second inning. Van der Pol then walked lead-off hitter Wesley Bernardus, who advanced on a wild pitch. After two flyouts, Bernardus tried to score on a single by Eugene Kingsale, but was thrown out at home.
In the third inning, Almere also ran itself out of the inning. Randy Daal had led off with a single and moved on an outfield-error, then reached third on a one-out single by Bryan Engelhardt. But then, while Engelhardt broke for second, Daal tried to score and was thrown out at the plate. Hereafter, Van der Pol retired 13 of the next 15 batters, allowing only one basehit. With two outs in the seventh, Van der Pol gave up singles to Eugene Kingsale and 'hot-hitting' Randy Daal and was relieved by Robin Franken, who ended the inning by striking out Ivanon Coffie.

...Derick Francisca... ...5-for-5... ...2 Runs, RBI... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

At that moment, Pirates had tied the score in the fifth inning. In the third at bat, the team had left three runners behind, but came alongside in the fifth. With one out, Derick Francisca singled, as did Roderick Simon. The two were awarded a next base when starter Forstin Coenraad balked. That enabled Francisca to score the tying run on a sac-fly by Tyson Arishenkoff.
In the sixth inning, Boudewijn van Elswijk and Bobbie van Duuren led off with singles for Pirates, which marked the end for Coenraad. He was replaced by Nick Veltkamp, who struckout the next two batters, hit Derick Francisca with a pitch to load the bases, but then ended the inning with a flyout.
In the eighth inning, Pirates took a 2-1 lead. Boudewijn van Elswijk struckout, but the third strike was in the ground and he reached first base on a throwing error by catcher Jeffrey de Vrieze. After advancing on a sac-bunt and a single by Björn Henrichs, Van Elswijk scored on a 2-out single by Derick Francisca.
Almere tied the score in the home eighth. Bryan Engelhardt led off with a double, moved on a sac-bunt and scored on a single by Jason Halman.

In the ninth inning, Pirates re-took the lead. With one out and Tyson Arishenkoff (fielder's choice) on base, a throwing error was made by Giovanni Samboe, who had just entered the game as the new catcher for Almere in his first appearance of the season. Arishenkoff then scored when Ralph Lagas and Kevin Gerard followed with singles.
Again, Almere tied the score immediately off Maarten Mulder, who had taken over Robin Franken the inning before. Eugene Kingsale led off with a single and moved on a sac-bunt and a single by Ivanon Coffie. Bryan Engelhardt then fouled out, but former Pirate Sidney Ensermo followed with an RBI-single to tie the score. With runners on first and second base, the inning ended when Jason Halman, who also played for Pirates last season, flied out.

In the tenth inning, Pirates scored three runs, as their again were some holes in the Almere-defense. This inning, there were three errors. In the game, the Almere-defense made a total to six errors to bring their season total to 53 in only eleven games.
Derrick Isenia started the inning for Almere and gave up a lead-off single to Björn Henrichs, then walked Remco Draijer. Derick Francisca then followed with his fifth basehit in the game (he was 5-for-5), which set a lot of action into motion. After Francisca's single, an infield-hit, Isenia threw the ball to first base, but was not in time to retire Francisca. However, second baseman Randy Daal, covering first base, made an error, enabling Henrichs to score and Draijer and Francisca to advance. Rightfielder Bryan Engelhardt picked up the ball and made a throwing error towards second base, enabling Draijer also to score. Then, a throwing error by third baseman Ivanon Coffie on a grounder by next batter Roderick Simon put runners on first and second base. Where Almere wasn't successful in the third inning in a similar situation, Pirates was, as Francisca scored in a double-steal situation. The inning finally ended with a strikeout, a force play-grounder and a flyout.
Almere was unable to come back. With one out, they got two baserunners, but then Eugene Kingsale grounded into a double play to end the game.
(May 20)

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