HCAW's Head Coach Patrick Vielvoye again made some changes to his batting order, especially in the lower part of it. The biggest chances were that Ralph Milliard, who has been the lead-off hitter the last few weeks, now batted in sixth place, while Gino Henson was put in the lead-off spot. Besides that, the team had a pitcher less in its bullpen, as they separated earlier in the week with American righthander Cliff Foster.
Despite leading since the third inning, HCAW was left empty-handed again, losing its fifth game in the last six games and fourth in a row. The loss also came against a contender for fourth place. As Pioniers, as well ADO, won tonight, HCAW got further behind and now is nine points out of fourth place. After winning their first seven games of the season, HCAW won only four of the next 19.

It was Pioniers that opened the score in the first inning. Michael Duursma led off with a bunt-single, moved on a sac-bunt by Edwin de Graaf, then scored on a single by Glenn Romney. But that was to be Pioniers' lone run in seven innings. In the meantime, they would strand six runners.
HCAW scored twice in the third at bat to take a 2-1 lead. With one out, Gino Henson doubled and Ronald Jaarsma walked. Sidney de Jong followed with a single on which Henson scored the tying run. Jaarsma advanced to third base on the throw to home. Bas de Jong then fouled out, but an error on a grounder by Rodney Michel enabled Jaarsma to score the go-ahead run. A force play ended the inning.

Pioniers was close to the tying run in the fifth inning. With one out, Michael Duursma walked. Edwin de Graaf followed with a double play-grounder which eliminated Duursma on second base, but an error at first base prevented the double play at put a runner on base. De Graaf then stole second base and tried to score on a single by Glenn Romney, but was thrown out at the plate on a throw by leftfielder Rodney Michel.
In the sixth inning, Pioniers stranded a runner at second base, then HCAW turned a double play in the seventh inning.
HCAW failed to add an insurance run in the seventh inning when it got the bases loaded with one out off new pitcher Erik Jan Lind, who had relieved starter Raul Quiroz. Bart Gabriëls led off with a single and Dimitri Leon reached when Lind made a fielding error on his sac-bunt. The two runners advanced on a grounder by Gino Henson, but then the bases were loaded when Ronald Jaarsma walked. With one out, Sidney de Jong got a called third strike (only his fourth strikeout of the season in 91 official at bats) and Bas de Jong followed with a force play-grounder that ended the inning.
In the eighth inning, Rodney Michel led off with a walk, but was picked off and caught stealing. He was HCAW's last runner in the game.

In the home of the eighth, Pioniers came alongside, but also left three runners behind. With one out, Glenn Romney walked and Dè Flanegin singled. Rookie pitcher Joey Eijpe, who had replaced starter Jos de Jong in the sixth, was then relieved by another rookie Joep de Wit. He eliminated Mark Duursma with a flyout, but then walked Norbert Lokhorst and pinch-hitter Marcel Venema to bring in the tying run. A grounder ended the inning and stranded three runners.
In the ninth inning, speedy Jefferson Muzo led off with a bunt-single and moved on a sac-bunt by Michael Duursma. Edwin de Graaf was then walked intentionally to set up a force play, after which Joep de Wit was replaced on the mound by Kenny Berkenbosch. But he loaded the bases by walking Glenn Romney. Next, Dè Flanegin drove the ball into centerfield where it was caught, but it was deep enough for Muzo to score the winning run and hand Lind his first career big league-win.
(June 29)

Pirates-starter Pim Walsma did well for five innings. ADO was able to reach base off the young righthander, but some fine defensive plays assisted him and prevented runs. In the first four innings, Walsma gave up five basehits, including two by Berry van Driel and Marvin Bleij. But four of them stranded, while the fifth was eliminated in a double play. In the second inning, Marvin Bleij singled and went on to reach third base, but was left there. In the fourth at bat, Kalian Sams and Marvin Bleij singled with one out, then Maikel Benner grounded into a double play.
In the fifth inning, Walsma walked lead-off hitter Remco Seitzinger, who moved on a sac-bunt and a wild pitch, then walked Berry van Driel with two outs, but these two also stranded.
With one out in the sixth inning, Kalian Sams and Marvin Bleij walked, after which Pim Walsma was relieved by Mark Kan. The righthander was greeted with a double by Maikel Benner, which resulted in the only run of the evening. Next batter Remco Seitzinger was walked intentionally to set up a force play and that was a successful move, as Adrian Anthony grounded into a double play to end the at bat.
In the remaining three innings, ADO would leave three runners, all in scoring position.

Pirates had four deciding baserunning moments, that possibly influenced their part of the scoring. In the first inning, Derick Francisca led off with a single off starter Jurrian Koks. Francisca advanced on a grounder and remained at second base after a flyout. Boudewijn van Elswijk followed with a bad-hop infield-hit which went off the glove of third baseman Marvin Bleij. As the ball fell behind Bleij, Francisca continued running towards home. Bleij, however, recovered in time, picked up the ball and threw Francisca out at the plate.
In the fifth inning and sixth inning, Pirates got the biggest chance to score a run, but stranded five runners. In the fifth, Ralph Lagas led off with a double. Lagas then tried to advance to third base on a sac-bunt attempt, while the ball was bunted back to the pitcher, and was thrown out. Bobbie van Duuren followed with a single and Bas Nooij walked to load the bases, but again no run was scored. Next batter Derick Francisca grounded into a double play to end this opportunity.
In the sixth inning, three runners stranded. With two outs, Boudewijn van Elswijk and Fausto Álvarez singled and Ralph Lagas walked, resulting in a pitching change. Dennis Burgersdijk relieved Jurrian Koks in a change of rookie-pitchers, who both threw well tonight. But this time, the inning ended when Björn Henrichs grounded out.
In the seventh inning, Derick Francisca singled with two outs, but then was caught stealing, as he didn't slid into second base on a high throw. In the next at bat, Tyson Arishenkoff walked with one out, but the experienced player broke too soon from first base and was picked off by Dennis Burgersdijk.
Pirates got another runner on with two outs in the ninth when Björn Henrichs singled, but a force play grounder ended the game and Burgersdijk earned his first career big league save in his third appearance on the highest level.
(June 29)

Kinheim was very productive in its first three innings in which it scored seven runs and appeared to be en route to a 10-run difference victory.
In the first inning, Danny Rombley and René Cremer led off the game with singles. With runners on first and third base, a balk from starter Daan Baecke gave Kinheim its first run. After a flyout, the bases were loaded when Tjerk Smeets and Edward Illidge walked. Moments later, Cremer made it 2-0 when he scored on a sac-fly by Roel Koolen.
Kinheim increased its lead to 5-0 in the second at bat. Floris Morang led off with a walk and reached second base safely on a throwing error with one out on a force play-grounder by Danny Rombley. Again, the bases were loaded when René Cremer walked. Next, Quincy Bernardus, who tonight batted in the number three slot, produced an RBI-single which was followed by an outfield-error and gave Kinheim a 4-0 lead. A grounder by Tjerk Smeets made it 5-0.
Two more runs were added in the third inning. Roel Koolen reached on an error and Robin Longhurst singled, then Daan Baecke again walked two batters. This resulted in another run and a change of pitchers. Rudy Seebus took over, gave up a sac-fly to Danny Rombley, but then threw six fine innings. Seebus gave up six hits and walked four batters, but Kinheim would leave nine runners during his pitching.

Sparta/Feyenoord left the bases loaded in the second inning off Kinheim-rookie Jean-Paul Gulinck, who threw four fine innings, before running into problems in the fifth. In the first four innings, the lefthander struckout three batters, gave up four hits and was supported with a double play in the fourth. In the fifth inning, he gave up four runs on four hits. With one out, Dwayne Kemp singled and advanced on a wild pitch. With two outs, Kemp scored on a single by Ramphis Trinidad. Hereafter, the bases were loaded when Nick Eppinga walked and Jeffrey Sprott reached on an infield-hit. The bases were then cleared on a 3-run double by Rutger Veugelers. Gulinck followed by striking out next batter Sjoerd Hermans, but was relieved in the sixth.
Jimmy van der Veldt took over, but gave up a lead-off single to Jeroen Hermans, who went on to score on a 2-out error to bring back the deficit to only 7-5. Sparta/Feyenoord was unable to score more runs, but Kinheim added an insurance run in the eighth inning. The team got the bases loaded with two outs, when a fielding error made it 8-5.
Duko Jansen again was used as closer, threw the last two innings for Kinheim and earned his third consecutive save in the last three games.
(June 29)

Almere failed to open the score right away in the first inning when it got runners on second and third base with two outs. The team, which again played without Eugene Kingsale, left two more runners in the second inning. But in the fourth at bat, Almere did score the first run. Jason Halman led off with a single, moved on a sac-bunt by Ferd van Stekelenburg and a grounder by Frank van Leeuwen, who started at first base instead of regular first baseman Ricky Daal. Halman then scored on a single by Niels van Weert, who returned to the starting line-up and played at third base instead of regular Sidney Ensermo.
Neptunus tied the score in the fifth inning. The team had left two runners in the first inning and another one on third base in the third at bat. In the fifth, Evert-Jan 't Hoen led off with a double, advanced on a single by Jeffrey Arends and scored on a single by Jeroen Sluijter. But next Johnny Balentina lined into a double play and the inning ended with a flyout.

In the sixth inning, Neptunus took a 3-1 lead. Raily Legito opened with a single and gave Neptunus the lead when he scored on a double by Lennart Koster. After a grounder, Koster moved to third, then scored on a single by Evert-Jan 't Hoen.
With a 3-1 lead, Wouter Lensselink relieved Neptunus-starter Martijn Nijhoff in the sixth inning, but he would give up a run. After Jason Halman led off with a walk, the bases were loaded when, with one out, Frank van Leeuwen also walked and Niels van Weert singled. Halman then scored on a single by Randy Daal, after which Lensselink was relieved by Gregory Gustina. The inning then ended when Wesley Bernardus lined into a double play.
In the seventh inning, Neptunus got three runners on, but Almere was helped with a weird double play. New pitcher Martin Kuipers, who had come in for starter Nick Veltkamp, walked lead-off hitter Jeroen Sluijter, then next batter Johnny Balentina popped up the ball into the infield. With the third baseman, pitcher and first baseman awaiting the ball, it dropped on the ground. Third baseman Niels van Weert picked it up and as Sluijter of course didn't left first base on the pop-fly, he was forced out at second base, after which the double play was completed at first base. Benjamin Dille followed with a single, then Jerry Breek came in to relief Kuipers. A force play ended the inning.

In the home of the seventh inning, Almere re-took the lead. Lead-off hitter Ivanon Coffie reached on an error, then Bryan Engelhardt followed with his league-leading fifth homerun on the season to give Almere a 4-3 lead. Gregory Gustina then gave up a double to Giovanni Samboe and walked a batter with two outs, but then struckout Niels van Weert to end the inning.
Neptunus turned the game in its favor in the eighth at bat. Jerry Breek walked Yuji Nerei (who was caught stealing after a pick-off) and Lennart Koster and was relieved by Forstin Coenraad. The new pitcher gave up a single to Jurriaan Korff, then loaded the bases with a walk for Evert-Jan 't Hoen, but then struckout Jeffrey Arends. But Jeroen Sluijter followed with a 2-run single to make it 5-4. Sluijter tonight was 3-for-3 with three RBI's and again played at short instead of Raily Legito, who again was the designated hitter.
The 5-4 lead also changed the outcome for Gregory Gustina. The big lefthander became the pitcher-of-record by giving up two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but instead of becoming the losing pitcher, he now was in line of becoming the winning pitcher, because Neptunus had taken the lead in the top of the eighth.
Leading 5-4, closer Jan Naterop took over for Neptunus in the bottom of the eighth. The lefthander allowed only two batters to reach base and earned his fifth save of the season. And secured the win for Gustina.
(June 29)

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