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(Story & Photo by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Neptunus promotes to Silver League with Perfect Game
Nederlands
 HAARLEM (Neth.) -
Neptunus shutout Alcmaria Victrix 8-0 and LeeAnn Craanberg threw a Perfect Game on Sunday (October 2) to win the best-of-one Final of the Silver League/First Division Promotion/Relegation Series.
With that, the team from Rotterdam promoted to next years Silver League (second highest league) after having played in the First Division (third highest league) since 2010.
On the other hand, Alcmaria Victrix relegated and now will play in the First Division next season.
For Alcmaria Victrix, this is its second consecutive relegation.
In 2012, the squad from Alkmaar captured the Dutch Championship-title, defeating Sparks Haarlem 3-1 in an excitng best-of-five Holland Series.
Last year, the squad, which then played with a very young team, finished in last place of the Golden League and had to play a best-of-five Promotion/Relegation Series against Twins, which then had won the championship in the Silver League.
In that series, Alcmaria was swept in three games by Twins, which therefore promoted to the Golden League, while Alcmaria relegated to the Silver League.
In the current Finals, which both were only a best-of-one, the fates for both Alcmaria and Twins were sealed on only one game and both relegated.
Twins lost 7-6 on Saturday to Roef! in the best-of-one Golden League/Silver League Promotion/Relegation Play-Off, which meant relegation for the team from Oosterhout.
With that, Twins will play again in the Silver League next year.
The match-up between Neptunus and Alcmaria Victrix was the first game to be played on Day 2 of the 'Season Finals Weekend', which took place this weekend at the site of Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem in Haarlem.
In the afternoon, Roef! and UVV started their best-of-one Final in the Golden League/Silver League Promotion/Relegation Series.
However, that game was interrupted by rain for the third in the top of the third inning, then halted definitively.
Recap Roef! vs. UVV
The day and the Finals Weekend was to conclude with the best-of-one Holland Series between Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem and Terrasvogels.
While it was initially tried to get the field ready again for this game, in the end, it was cancelled due to the rainy weather circumstances and the conditions of the playing field.
Recap Sparks Haarlem vs. Terrasvogels
Both games were re-scheduled for coming Saturday, October 8, also at the site of Sparks Haarlem.
Roef! and UVV then will meet at 12:30, while the Holland Series-game between Sparks Haarlem and Terrasvogels starts at 4 PM.
(October 2)
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Neptunus vs. Alcmaria Victrix
Ten years ago, the softball-team of Neptunus played in the Third Division, which then was the fourth highest league.
The team from Rotterdam then played in the Second Division (third highest league) in 2008 and 2009.
In 2010, the team made its debut in the First Division, which then still was the third highest league in a new set up of the different divisions, following the so-called 'Overgangsklasse' and the Major League.
Next year, Neptunus will make its debut at the second highest level, as it promoted to the Silver League with today's victory.
This season, Neptunus was coached by Arnold Whitfield and Stanley Boutisma, who both played baseball in the Dutch big league in the past.
Whitfield also played in the Netherlands National Baseball Team.
This year, Neptunus finished in first place of the First Division Promotion Pool, ahead of Caribe.
This last team lost 5-4 to Alcmaria Victrix on Saturday in the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off to be eliminated for today's Final.
LeeAnn Craanberg went the distance for Neptunus and threw a Perfect Game, striking out four batters and using only 53 pitches in five innings.
She also had an important offensive contribution, as she batted in four runs.
The game ended after 4½ inning because of the 7-run difference mercy-rule.
...Arnold Whitfield...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
Alcmaria-starter Evelien de Rover gave up the first Neptunian run in the bottom of the first inning.
Fabienne Huigen led off with a single and stole second base, then moved to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Jennifer Boutisma and scored on a following grounder by LeeAnn Craanberg.
Neptunus then decided the game with a 7-run rally in the bottom of the third inning in which the first eight batters reached base safely.
Lead-off hitter Zuleinys Salesia reached on an error, then the bases got loaded when Fabienne Huigen walked and Jennifer Boutisma reached on a bunt-single.
They all three scored when LeeAnn Craanberg delivered a 3-run triple, making her responsible for the first four runs that Neptunus scored.
Herafter, Shadeney Castillo reached on a bunt-single and Wishe van Heyningen was hit by a pitch, which led to a pitching change.
Lisa Meijering took over for Evelien de Rover.
She gave up a bunt-single to Tianne Martina, which was followed by a throwing error, resulting in another run and runners on second and third base.
The bases got loaded when Franchesca Diaz walked, then the first out was recorded on a fly into centerfield by Jeanny Sophia.
Next, a run was scored when Zuleinys Salesia walked in her second at bat in the inning to make it a 7-0 score.
The eighth run was then added on a force play-grounder by Fabienne Huigen.
After Neptunus had left a runner on second base in the bottom of the fourth, LeeAnn Craanberg retired the side for the fifth time in the top of the fifth to complete her Perfect Game.
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| Neptunus - Alcmaria Victrix 8-0 (4½ inn.) |
| R | H | E |
| Alcmaria Victrix | 000 | 00 | | - | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Neptunus | 107 | 0X | | - | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| pitchers Alcmaria | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Evelien de Rover, L (1-1) | 2 (*) | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
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| Lisa Meijering | 2 | - | 3 | 1 | 1 | - |
| (*) - De Rover pitched to six batters in the third inning |
| pitcher Neptunus | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| LeeAnn Craanberg, W (1-0) | 5 | 4 | - | - | - | - |
| (LeeAnn Craanberg threw a Perfect Game) |
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