Pioniers scored four runs in the first two innings and six in the last two of their eight at bats. In the middle four only two runs were scored off rookie Kevin Miner, who was added to the Pirates-roster for the weekend.
But Pioniers decided the game in the first two at bats, thanks to a lack of control for Pirates' starter Pim Walsma. The young righthander had trouble finding the strike zone, issued seven walks, had two wild pitches and gave up three basehits, that provided Pioniers with an early 4-0 lead. The first two runs were scored on basesloaded walks.
In the second inning, Kevin Miner, who is on the roster of Amsterdam Pirates-2 in the First Division and last year played for the Dutch Juniors, took over for Walsma and made a fine debut in the big league. He threw five innings, gave up seven hits, but gave up only two runs in the fifth at bat on a 2-run double by Michael Duursma. In the sixth inning, he was supported with a double play when Mark-Jan Moorman lined out to first baseman Mark Kan.
In the seventh inning, with two outs, Miner walked Michael Duursma and was relieved by Robbert van der Pol, who gave up an RBI-double to Norbert Lokhorst.

In the eighth inning, eight Pioniers-batters stepped up to the plate. None of them was retired, resulting in five runs and a 10-run difference. The inning started with an error, then the bases were loaded on a walk and a bunt-single. Van der Pol then walked Mark-Jan Moorman and Lars Koehorst with the bases loaded. An error on a grounder by Jefferson Muzo gave Pioniers two more runs, then the 10-run difference was reached on a single by Marcel Venema.
Pioniers had 14 hits, including three by Glennsig Polonius. Three Pirates-pitchers issued eleven walks.

Roger Kops started for Pioniers and gave up only five hits in the seven innings he pitched and was supported with two double plays. In the eighth, Tommy van Limburg took over, but gave up two unearned runs. The first batter he faced was pinch-hitter Edsel Martis, who appeared in his first game in the big league since 1996. Martis, who came out of 9-year retirement, grounded out in his first at bat. With one out, Björn Henrichs reached on an error. With two outs, Tyson Arishenkoff doubled in a run, then scored himself on a single by Derick Francisca.
But in the home eighth, Pioniers would rally for five runs to end the game.
(April 22)

In the first inning, Sparta/Feyenoord-starter Daan Baecke had problems with his control. The righthander issued walks to the first three batters he faced, then gave up a baseclearing, 3-run double to Sidney de Jong, who then scored himself on a wild pitch. After Kenny Berkenbosch singled, Gino Henson lined into a double play, but then Baecke walked Bas de Jong and hit Nick Makkinje with a pitch. Baecke was then relieved by Elton Koeiman, who silenced HCAW for the next five innings in which he gave up only two basehits. In that period, only two runners reached second base.
However, in the seventh inning, HCAW rallied again. With one out, Koeiman walked Martijn Meeuwis, then gave up a single to Bart Gabriëls. After a flyout, Kenny Berkenbosch doubled in two runs, then Gino Henson followed with a 2-run homerun to make it 8-1.

The second 4-run rally followed a run by Sparta/Feyenoord in the top of the seventh. With two outs, Orson Slaats doubled and scored on a single by Patrick Wabbijn. That marked the end for starter Patrick de Lange, who had given up only five hits.
Sparta/Feyenoord had come close to a run in the fifth inning. With two outs, it loaded the bases when Orson Slaats reached on an error, then Patrick Wabbijn singled and Earmy Isabella was hit by a pitch. But that inning ended when Ramphis Trinidad flied out.
Jos de Jong took over for De Lange, then Kevin Roovers threw the ninth inning for HCAW.
(April 22)

ADO opened the score in the first inning. Marvin Bleij (who was ejected in the eighth inning) reached on an infield-hit, then scored when an error in leftfield followed a single by Percy Isenia.
Two runs were added in the second inning. With one out, Maikel Benner singled and Berry van Driel walked. Almere-starter Forstin Coenraad then gave up an RBI-double to Shurty Tremus and a sac-fly to Jermaine Esprit.
ADO lifted the score to 4-0 in the fourth inning on a fielder's choice-grounder.

Almere came back with a run in the fifth at bat. Before that, ADO-starter Rob Cordemans had walked a batter in the first and second inning and gave up a triple to Bryan Engelhardt in the fourth. In the fifth, former teammate Shaldimar Daantji (both played together with Neptunus) singled with two outs, who then stole second and scored on a single by Gene Kingsale. But this was to be Almere's lone run, as Cordemans would allow only one more batter to reach base in the next two innings. Cordemans struckout six batters and gave up three hits in the seven innings he pitched, before Jimmy Summers took over and completed the game.

ADO made it 6-1 with two runs in the seventh inning. Harvey Monte led off with a double, then scored on a one-out single by James Rutherford, who was replaced by pinch-runner Quensley Bazoer. Manuel Dame took over the pitching for Coenraad, but after a single, flyout and walk, Jerry Breek became the third pitcher in the inning. With the bases loaded, Bazoer scored when Shurty Tremus walked.
(April 22)

...Diegomar Markwell... ...winning pitcher... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

Neptunus opened the game with two singles, but then Kinheim-starter Patrick Beljaards retired the next eight batters, before giving up a 2-out single to Benjamin Dille in the third. Dille then scored the first run when Yuji Nerei followed with a single.
Neptunus then broke open the game with three unearned runs in the fourth at bat. First, Patrick Beljaards struckout Jurriaan Korff, but then Melfried Comenencia reached on a throwing error by short stop René Cremer. After Jeffrey Arends fouled out, Neptunus added four consecutive basehits. The bases were loaded when Lennart Koster and Jeroen Sluijter singled. Next, Johnny Balentina, who played for Kinheim the last two season, singled in two runs. An infield-hit by Benjamin Dille made it 4-0.

After giving up a 2-out double in the fifth inning, Beljaards was relieved by Jimmy van der Veldt, who ran into problems in the sixth inning. With one out, Jeroen Sluijter then singled and scored on a double by Johnny Balentina, followed by an infield-hit by Benjamin Dille, who went 4-for-4, scored two runs and had two RBI's. The bases were loaded when Yuji Nerei walked. Next, Balentina scored his 500th career run and Dille also scored on a 2-run double by Raily Legito. Neptunus would leave the bases loaded, but added three more runs in the seventh at bat.
In the seventh, Jeffrey Verbij became Kinheim's third pitcher, but couldn't find the strikezone. He walked the first three batters he faced, gave up a sac-fly to Benjamin Dille, wild pitched in the next run and loaded the bases up again with a walk and an infield-hit. Neptunus then reached the 10-run difference when Jurriaan Korff singled.

Diegomar Markwell went the distance for Neptunus. The lefthander struckout three and gave up seven hits. He was supported by three double plays. Kinheim stranded seven runners, including four in scoring position. In the third, Wouter Heemskerk led off with a double and moved to third on a one-out single, but then a double play ended the at bat. In the fourth, Tjerk Smeets singled with one out, then Edward Illidge doubled. This time, a strikeout and a flyout ended the inning. In the seventh, Kinheim had runners on first and second with one out, but then two flyouts followed.

After last season, Kinheim strenghtened itself, while Neptunus had lost five (national team) players. Before this season, Kinheim therefore was proclaimed the premier title candidate, while Neptunus would have to work harder to make the Play-Offs. But in this game, there was nothing of this all and Neptunus just was the better team.
(April 22)

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