...Jeroen Sluijter... ...500 games... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

Before the game, Neptunus' third baseman Jeroen Sluijter was honored, as he played his 500th career big league-game tonight. Sluijter, who started his baseball career with Zwijndrecht, made his big league-debut in 1994 while playing for Twins, where he also played in 1995. After playing for ADO in 1996, the infielder moved to Neptunus, where is now playing since 1997 in his tenth season for the club. Sluijter received a KNBSB-decoration from Hans Meijer, the director of the KNBSB Head Office, as he became the 27th member of the exclusive '500 Club'. In the game, Sluijter had two of Neptunus' twelve basehits and scored once. In the ninth inning, the game ended when Sluijter made a fine catch on foul territory while reaching over the 3B fence. HCAW also had a celebration, as its centerfielder Ronald Jaarsma tonight played in his 400th career big league-game. Coincidentally, Jaarsma made his big league-debut while playing for Neptunus in 1996. During the 1999 season, Jaarsma moved to HCAW.

...Ronald Jaarsma... ...400 games... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

HCAW opened the score with two runs in the first inning off Diegomar Markwell. With one out, Ronald Jaarsma doubled and moved on a single by Sidney de Jong. The bases were loaded when Markwell hit Bas de Jong. Next, rookie Nick Makkinje delivered an RBI-single, which was followed by an error in centerfield, resulting in another run. But then, a foul-fly and a strikeout ended the bat.
Neptunus came back with three runs in the third inning off Jos de Jong, who made his first start of the season. Jeffrey Arends led off with a double, then Jeroen Sluijter followed with an infield-hit. The two then scored on a triple by Johnny Balentina, who is having an MVP-season so far. Moments later, Balentina scored on a single by Benjamin Dille to give Neptunus a 3-2 lead.

After four scoreless innings, HCAW came alongside in the seventh inning. In the fourth, rookie Diederik Klaassen had led off with a walk, but stranded at third base. Now, three innings later, HCAW had more luck and scored the tying run on back-to-back doubles. With two outs, Sidney de Jong and Bas de Jong both doubled to make it 3-3.
But this time, Neptunus answered right away with a run in the home seventh. Jeroen Sluijter led off with a double, then tried to score on a single by Johnny Balentina, but was thrown out at the plate. Balentina advanced to second on the throw to home, then scored the go-ahead run again, this time on a 2-out single by Raily Legito, who himself was thrown out trying to advance.

In the eighth, leading 4-3, Jan Naterop took over for Diegomar Markwell, who won his league-leading eighth game of the year.
Neptunus added an insurance run in the eighth inning. Yuji Nerei led off with a single off rookie Joep de Wit, who had come on in relief of Jos de Jong. Nerei moved on a sac-bunt by Lennart Koster, after which Jurriaan Korff struckout and Kenny Berkenbosch was brought in to relief De Wit. But the former pro gave up an RBI-single to Calvin Martinus, which was the first in his career, as he made his big league-debut tonight. Martinus, the son of former Neptunian and current Sparta/Feyenoord's Head Coach Wim Martinus, took over in leftfield for veteran Melfried Comenencia in the third inning. In the inning before, Comenencia sustained a hamstring-injury while making a catch on a fly ball by Ralph Milliard. This is the second hamstring-injury to a veteran Neptunus-player, as Evert-Jan 't Hoen injured his hamstring last week during the second game in Italy.
(June 22)

ADO failed to hold onto a lead twice, then kept falling behind and was left empty-handed in the end. This was a defensively poor game, as both teams combined on ten errors, including six by the home team. Both teams scored only one earned run each. All other nine runs were recorded as unearned!
ADO took its first lead off American starter Raul Quiroz in the first inning. With two outs, Berry van Driel and Percy Isenia singled. With runners on first and second, Harvey Monte also singled. On this basehit, Van Driel ran home, but was to be tagged out by catcher Mark Duursma, who instead made an error, resulting in the opening run.
Pioniers came alongside in the third inning after having stranded three runners the inning before. Michael Duursma led off with a walk, advanced on an infield-hit and a sac-bunt, then scored on a grounder by his brother Mark Duursma. This was Pioniers' only earned run in the game.
ADO reacted immediately and re-took the lead in the home third, the only time they were able to come back. Jermaine Esprit led off with an infield-hit, moved on an error by Raul Quiroz and scored when short stop Michael Duursma made a throwing error on a grounder by Berry van Driel.

In the fourth inning, Pioniers added three unearned runs to take a 4-2 lead. With one out, Mark-Jan Moorman walked and reached third base when 3B Marvin Bleij this time made a throwing error on a grounder by Marcel Venema, who reached second base on the error. Another throwing error followed, this time on a grounder by Jefferson Muzo towards 2B Berry van Driel, who threw the ball passed catcher Maikel Benner in an attempt to eliminate Moorman, who now scored the tying run instead. Mow with runners on second and third, a similar grounder by Michael Duursma was successfull, as Venema was thrown out at the plate. But then Edwin de Graaf followed with an RBI-double and Glenn Romney with an RBI-single to give Pioniers a 4-2 lead.
In the sixth inning, ADO added a run. The team got the bases loaded with no outs, but scored only once (which was ADO's lone earned run). Percy Isenia led off with a walk and scored on a basesloaded grounder by Maikel Benner. After the next batter also walked, re-loading the bases, Raul Quiroz was relieved by Erik Jan Lind. He faced pinch-hitter Kalian Sams, but he grounded into a double play to end this big scoring opportunity.

Pioniers took more distance by scoring twice in the eighth inning and again the runs were unearned. With one out, Glennsig Polonius reached on an error by 1B Percy Isenia, which meant that all ADO-infielders had committed an error (by the way, all six errors were made in the infield). Mark-Jan Moorman then walked, after which starter Jurrian Koks was relieved by Dennis Burgersdijk, who made his big league-debut. One of Burgerdijks's first deliveries was a wild pitch, enabling both runners to move. After a flyout, Polonius scored when 2B Berry van Driel made his second error of the evening, again on a grounder by Jefferson Muzo. An infield-hit by Michael Duursma enabled Moorman to score and lift the lead to 6-3.
ADO also scored two runs in the eighth inning. Of course, they were unearned. With one out, Harvey Monte (who was 3-for-4) doubled and Marvin Bleij reached on an infield-hit. Erik Jan Lind was relieved by Tommy van Limburg, who loaded the bases by walking Maikel Benner. A strikeout followed, but what would have been the third out ended in a 2-run error when 3B Marcel Venema misplayed a grounder by Kalian Sams. Van Limburg was relieved by Dave Draijer, who then ended the inning with a flyout.
In the ninth inning, Pioniers left three runners behind, but the one-run lead was enough, as Draijer retired the side in the ninth and ended the game by striking out Percy Isenia.
(June 22)

...Jean-Paul Gulinck... ...one hit, 8 innings... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

Rookie Kinheim-lefthander Jean-Paul Gulinck gave up only one basehit in his third big league-start, while striking out six batters and walking three. In the first four innings, Gulinck allowed only one batter to reach base, when he walked Boudewijn van Elswijk to start the second inning with. But then, a double play followed. After retiring nine batters in a row, Gulinck gave up an one-out double to Fausto Álvarez, which was initially misjudged by centerfielder Danny Rombley, who then was unable to make a catch. With Álvarez on second base, Gulinck retired the next eight batters again. In the eighth inning, he walked Fausto Álvarez, who appeared to be one of the few Pirates-batters who had a good eye for the lefthander. Other batters went after the wrong pitches and therefore helped Gulinck. With Álvarez on first, Gulinck struckout the next batter, but then walked Björn Henrichs. The lefthander then again followed with a strikeout, then saw the inning (the only one in which Pirates got two runners) being ended with a force play-grounder. In the ninth inning, Jimmy van der Veldt took over the pitching, gave up a lead-off single to Derick Francisca, but followed with three outs.

Kinheim took a 2-0 lead in the second inning off Pirates-starter Bobbie van Duuren. Tjerk Smeets led off with a single and reached second base on an error on a force play-grounder by Edward Illidge. Roel Koolen then followed with an RBI-double. Later in the inning, Illidge scored on an one-out sac-fly by Floris Morang.
Kinheim doubled its lead in the third inning. With one out, René Cremer was hit by a pitch, then the bases were loaded when Dirk van 't Klooster and Tjerk Smeets singled. A sac-fly by Edward Illidge and an infield-hit by Roel Koolen then made it 4-0.

In the sixth, Kinheim again scored twice. Roel Koolen led off with a walk and scored when Robin Longhurst followed with a double. Next, Longhurst scored on a single by Floris Morang, which marked the end of Van Duuren. Pim Walsma took over and pitched three solid innings, striking out two and having a good control. In the seventh inning, he gave up Kinheim's seventh run. With a runner on first, a double play-grounder resulted in only one out and an error on fist base. A single by Edward Illidge then made it 7-0.
(June 22)

Sparta/Feyenoord opened the score right away in the first inning when it scored two unearned runs. Lead-off hitter Ramphis Trinidad reached base when his fly to centerfield was missed by Bryan Engelhardt. With one out, Jeffrey Sprott singled, followed by an RBI-infield-hit by >Jeroen Hermans. A double-steal was then followed by a throwing error by catcher Jason Halman, enabling Sprott to score the second run.
Another unearned run was scored in the second inning. With one out, Dwayne Kemp was on first base. He moved on a one-out single by Ramphis Trinidad, then scored on a throwing error by pitcher Forstin Coenraad on a grounder by Nick Eppinga.
In the third inning, the lead was increased to 4-0. Jeroen Hermans singled and stole second, then scored on a 2-out single by Patrick Wabbijn. Next batter Dwayne Kemp then reached on an error by short stop Ivanon Coffie, after which Coenraad was replaced by Erik Remmerswaal. The veteran righthander would give up only two more runs, pitch the remaining 6 1/3 inning and become the winning pitcher.
In the fourth inning, Ramphis Trinidad made it 5-0 when he reached on an infield-hit, then scored on an one-out single by Jeffrey Sprott.

Sparta/Feyenoord's starter Satoru Fujii retired the first nine batters he faced, but then walked Eugene Kingsale (back in the line-up) and Randy Daal in the fourth inning. Kingsale went on to score Almere's first run on a single by Bryan Engelhardt, which was the only one being given up by Fujii in the seven innings he pitched. Hereafter, Fujii retired the next seven batters again in order. The Japanese pitcher struckout eight batters, but also walked five batters.
In the seventh inning, Sparta/Feyenoord got the run back. With two outs, Orson Slaats singled and went on to make it 6-1 when he scored on a single by Patrick Wabbijn, who was 3-for-5 and had two RBI's. But that was the last run for the Rotterdam-team, while Almere started to turn the game around.

In the home seventh, Fujii encountered problems with his control. He opened the inning by walking Ivanon Coffie and Bryan Engelhardt, followed by a wild pitch. The two then scored on sac-flies by Jason Halman and Sidney Ensermo, which made it 6-3.
In the eighth inning, Sander Klop took over for Fujii. With one out, he gave up a single to Ramphis Trinidad, then hit Randy Daal with a pitch and walked Ivanon Coffie. Bryan Engelhardt then followed with a 2-run single, that narrowed the deficit to only 6-5. Klop recovered and struckout the next two batters to end the inning.

In the home ninth, trailing 6-5, Ferd van Stekelenburg led off with a grounder to third, but first baseman Jeffrey Sprott made an error on the throw. Frank van Leeuwen then walked and a bunt by Wesley Bernardus resulted in no outs and bases loaded. Van Leeuwen was replaced at second base by pinch-runner Manuel Dame, but again Sander Klop appeared to recover as he struckout Eugene Kingsale and Randy Daal. But then, Ivanon Coffie drilled a full count-pitch into centerfield for a 2-run single on which Van Stekelenburg and Dame scored to give Almere a remarkable comeback 7-6 victory.
(June 22)

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