 ROTTERDAM (Neth.) - DOOR Neptunus on Saturday played its fourth exhibition game of the season, but registered its first victory, beating Dutch champion Corendon Kinheim, 5-2, while being outhit 9-8. Trailing 2-1 after three innings, Neptunus scored twice in the fourth, then added two runs in the seventh inning to seal the win. Four of Neptunus' five runs were unearned.
Neptunus opened the score in the first inning off Kinheim-starter David Bergman, when the Best Pitcher of last season gave up a 2-out homerun to Raily Legito. Hereafter, the righthander recovered and retired the next seven batters in order, before running into problems in the fourth inning.
Kinheim left two runners behind in the second, when Neptunus-starter Leon Boyd gave up singles to Tjerk Smeets and Jeffrey Verbij with one out, but then struckout the next batter and ended the at bat with a grounder.
However, Kinheim went on to score in the next inning with both runs being credited to Boyd.
The righthander walked lead-off batter Denny Beljaards, then gave up an RBI-double to Dirk van 't Klooster to tie the score and was relieved by Kevin Heijstek.
After a groundout, Heijstek gave up a single to René Cremer that gave Kinheim a 2-1 lead and walked next batter Vince Rooi, but a strikeout and a force play prevented more runs.
Neptunus came back with two runs in the fourth to retake the lead.
Eugene Kingsale led off with a single, then Benjamin Dille reached on an error and Raily Legito walked, loading the bases.
It then appeared that Kinheim would escape this situation harmless.
First, Lennart Koster grounded back to Bergman for a force play at home.
Bergman was then relieved by Nick Veltkamp and the lefty started with a repeat, as Martijn Meeuwis also grounded back to the pitcher, resulted in a force play at home.
But then Jeffrey Arends singled, enabling Legito and Koster to score and to give Neptunus a 3-2 lead.
Trailing 3-2, Kinheim got a chance of coming alongside or maybe taking the lead in the seventh inning.
Jason Halman led off with a single, then Denny Beljaards doubled with one out.
Halman then tried to score on a grounder to third base by Dirk van 't Klooster, but was thrown out at the plate.
With runners at first and third base, the at bat ended when next batter Danny Rombley grounded out.
After stranding a runner on second in the fifth and another on third in the sixth inning, Neptunus added two more runs in the seventh inning.
Martijn Meeuwis and Jeffrey Arends started with singles, then Andy Leer followed with a force play-grounder.
With runners on first and third, Michiel van Kampen was brought in to relief Veltkamp.
The Kinheim-closer walked Rien Vernooij, the future pro, who is still in the Netherlands, which loaded the bases.
Next, Meeuwis was close to being retired at the plate after a grounder by Jeroen Sluijter, but a throwing error resulted in a run and kept the bases loaded.
A sacfrice fly by rookie Ludwin Obispo then added a run, before a strikeout ended the inning.
Newcomer Berry van Driel threw the last 1 2/3 inning and earned his first save in a Neptunus-uniform.
After giving up a lead-off single in the ninth to Tjerk Smeets, he was supported with a double play, then ended with a groundout.
(March 29)
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