Hoofdklasse/Overgangsklasse play downs 2014: Game 1

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Like I wrote last week, Mampaey the Hawks (last in the Hoofdklasse) and DSS (winner of the Overgangsklasse) will play a best-of-five series to decide who will play in the highest league in the Netherlands next year.

The road team, DSS from Haarlem, scored the opening run in the top of the first inning. Ryan Miner scored from second base on a basehit by Tim Roodenburg. In the bottom of the first, Mampaey The Hawks  erased the one game lead of DSS and took a 2-1 lead themselves.

The score remained the same until the sixth inning when DSS scored one run and Mampaey The Hawks scored four. With these four runs, the team from Dordrecht seemed to have a decisive lead. But DSS showed some flexibilty in the innings thereafter. In the seventh inning DSS cut the Hawks’ lead in half by scoring a run and in the eighth their offense exploded for six runs.
Where Evan Simons kept DSS’ offense in check rather well in five innings, his successors, Henk van Heijningen and Kevin van Veen,  opened the flood gates. Both pitched two innings and they combined for nine runs on seven hits and eight walks.

Two more runs in the  top of the ninth for DSS sealed the fate of The Hawks for good.

Tim Halderman pitched six innings for DSS and allowed six hits on nine hits. He struck out three and gave up three walks. He needed 102 pitches to do so.  Relief pitcher Kevin Geestman pitched the remaining three innings in which he allowed just one hit, struck out three and walked one.

Tim Roodenburg was the best hitter for DSS, going 4 for 4 with a double and four RBI.
(photo: courtesy of Robert Bos)

Jules Peters went 3 for 5 and scored a run for the Hawks. Shortstop Tony Enos had the most impact for the team from Dordrecht. He went 2 for 5 and drove in three runs.

The loss was a sensitive blow for Mampaey the Hawks. De Nederlandse Honkbalsite published an interview with Hawks manager Ronald de Bont. In this interview he states that relegation to the Overgangsklasse would be a huge disappointment, especially now the club want to make the next step to be a fixed value in the Hoofdklasse.