 ROTTERDAM (Neth.) - Sparta/Feyenoord on Sunday trailed 3-1 in the fifth, 4-3 in the seventh and 7-5 in the eighth, but managed to come back each time to win 8-6 vs. First Divisionist PSV, scoring the winning runs in the home of the eighth inning. Initially, both teams were to play a double-header, but because of the unfavorable weather conditions, only one game was played.
PSV, which finished in fifth place last year, has a lot of experience in its team this season.
The team from Eindhoven has players with experience in the Dutch big league and even has two active pros on its roster.
Besides its own veteran players Nick Boot and Jan Swaminathan, players with big league-experience include Jurriaan Korff, who played for DOOR Neptunus the last few seasons, Brian Larmonie, who played in the past for both Neptunus and Mr. Cocker HCAW, before going to Germany, Jeffrey Cranston, who had a long big league-career, playing for UVV and HCAW, pitcher Joep Meulendijks and infielder Ruben Peijnenburg, who both also have played for HCAW.
The pros on PSV's roster are RHP Rick van den Hurk and LHP Alexander Smit, who both weren't with the team today, as they had other things to do in the USA....
PSV got two runners on base in the first inning when Sparta/Feyenoord-starter Tim Roodenburg hit a batter and walked another, but both were left behind.
In the second inning, Sparta/Feyenoord opened the score.
With one out, PSV-starter Jan Swaminathan walked Roderick Simon, then gave up singles to Nick Eppinga and Patrick Wabbijn, loading the bases.
Sape Wagenaar then followed with a sacrifice fly, before the bases were reloaded when Shaldimar Daantji also walked.
Three runners stranded, as a force play-grounder ended the at bat.
PSV answered with two runs in the third inning with two outs.
Jurriaan Korff then singled and Brian Larmonie walked.
After the two advanced on a wild pitch, they both scored when Jeffrey Cranston followed with a double. Cranston still holds the big league-record for most doubles in a season, which he accomplished in 1995 by hitting 20.
PSV then added a run in the fifth inning off new pitcher Elton Koeiman when Niels Brokken led off with a single and scored on a 2-out double by Bart Hanegraaff.
After leaving a runner on second base in the two previous innings, Sparta/Feyenoord came alongside in the home of the fifth.
Shaldimar Daantji led off with a bunt-single, then Ramphis Trinidad singled.
Daantji raced to third, then scored when the throw from rightfield went passed the base. Trinidad advanced to second on the throw, advanced on a grounder, then scored the tying run when an error was made on a grounder by Jonathan Kopra, but the PSV-defense then turned a double play on a grounder by Percy Isenia to end the inning.
PSV regained the lead in the seventh, again with two outs.
With one out, Niels Brokken doubled, then scored on a 2-out single by Jurriaan Korff.
Sparta/Feyenoord again managed to come back immediately.
Joep Meulendijks, who relieved starter Jan Swaminathan in the sixth, walked lead-off hitter Patrick Wabbijn, then gave up an one-out, RBI-single to Shaldimar Daantji.
Next, Daantji reached second base when a pick-off went wrong and scored on a 2-out single by Gino Henson to give Sparta/Feyenoord a 5-4 lead.
Again, PSV took the lead in the eighth inning by scoring twice.
With Jeffrey Cranston (error) and Nick Boot (hit by pitch) on base, a grounder by Yannick Wilsoe ended in a force play, but then Boot scored on a single by Lucas Prins, followed by a runscoring force play-grounder by Ruben Peijnenburg.
For the third time, Sparta/Feyenoord was able to come back, this time for good, scoring three runs in its eighth at bat.
With one out, Roderick Simon reached on an error, then stole second and advanced on an infield-hit by Nick Eppinga, who also stole the next base.
The two then scored on a double by Patrick Wabbijn, giving Sparta/Feyenoord a 7-6 lead.
After a strikeout, Wabbijn scored on a single by Shaldimar Daantji, who was 3-for-3.
Rookie Berry van Donselaar closed the game for Sparta/Feyenoord in the ninth inning, retiring the side and earning a save.
Oh, by the way, PSV's pros Rick van den Hurk and Alexander Smit both had good reasons not to be with the team today.
Both were completing Spring Training in the States, Smit with the Cincinnati Reds and Van den Hurk with the Florida Marlins.
The latter made the 25-man Opening Day-roster of the Marlins and will be the second starting pitcher in their rotation, starting next Tuesday against the New York Mets.
Smit is currently on the roster of the Sarasota Reds, Cincinnati's team in the Advanced Single-A.
(March 30)
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