Dutch Hoofdklasse Play Offs, Saturday August 22: No-hit bid spoiled
Today the following games were scheduled in the Play Offs: Vaessen Pioniers @ Curacao Neptunus and Corendon Kinheim @ L&D Amsterdam Pirates. Two exciting games . One in which both teams were almost each other’s match and another in which a no-hit bid was spoiled late in the game.
Vaessen Pioniers @ Curacao Neptunus 1 – 7
It was up to Curacao Neptunus to forget the loss of Thursday’s game.
They started well early in the game as they took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. With one out Christian Diaz singled through the right side of the infield, followed by a single at the same location hit by Stijn van der Meer that advanced Diaz to third. As Rien Vernooij singled to right field, Christian Diaz scored the opening run and Stijn van der Meer advanced to third base. Van der Meer eventually scored on Shaldimar Daantji’s force out/fielder’s choice on which Rien Vernooij was thrown out at second base.
In the next innings a real pitching duel would unfold. Despite getting a runner in scoring position, Neptunus would not score. In the sixth inning the Rotterdam team came really close as Raily Legito singled to left field with one out, followed by a walk, drawn by Gianison Boekhoudt. The next hitter, Christian Diaz grounded into a force out at second where Boekhoudt was put out. Raily Legito advanced to third on the play. Pitcher Lars Huijer then intentionally walked Stijn van der Meer before he retired Rien Vernooij on a fly out to center field. Until the eighth inning, when Mark Jan Moorman hit a solo homerun, Diegomar Markwell was on no-hit course. But before Moorman hit his solo shot, Neptunus had scored three more runs. After Moorman’s homerun, Neptunus scored two more to reach the final score of 7-1.
Markwell went the distance and earned the win by giving up one run on one hit and striking out seven. Lars Huijer took the loss. In 6.1 innings he gave up four runs on six hits and he walked three.
Dwayne Kemp went 3 for 5 with a double, two RBI and a run scored.
Corendon Kinheim @ L&D Amsterdam Pirates 2 – 4
Another pitcher’s duel would be the game between Corendon Kinheim and L&D Amsterdam Pirates. Pirates took a 1-0 lead when Roelie Henrique hit a lead off double, followed by a 4-3 ground out hit by Kenny Berkenbosch that made him advance to third. Henrique scored on Nick Urbanus’ sacrifice fly to center field.
The bottom of the third started in a similar way as Linoy Croes hit a lead off double to left center field, followed by a 1-4 sacrifice bunt, laid down by Roelie Henrique that made Croes advance to third. Once again it was Nick Urbanus who drove in the run; this time with a single to center field.
The fifth inning started with a double again. This time hit by Rashid Gerard. He was driven in on Linoy Croes’ triple down the right field line. Once again Pirates showed how to produce runs as Roelie Henrique hit a sac fly to left field that drove in Linoy Croes for Pirates’ fourth run of the game.
But in the sixth inning, Kinheim would get on the board. Bryan Engelhardt laid down a bunt single towards third base, followed by a 4-3 ground out hit by Philip Ortez on which Engelhardt could advance to third. On Dashenko Ricardo’s single Engelhardt scored Kinheim’s first run. In the bottom of the seventh Kinheim scored again when Dudley Leonora scored from second base on Jochem Koedijk’s single to right field.
In the bottom of the ninth, Kevin Heijstek was one out away from pitching a complete game but with Dudley Leonora at third, he gave up a walk to Jochem Koedijk. For manager Charles Urbanus it was the sign to pull Heijstek in favour of Daan Hendrix. And Hendrix did what he was called to the mound for as he retired Kevin Moesuit on a 4-3 ground out for the final out of the game.
Kevin Heijstek earned the win. He gave up two runs on eleven hits, walked one and struck out five. David Bergman took the loss, despite pitching a complete game. In eight innings he gave up four runs on nine hits and struck out one.
Linoy Croes was the best hitter for Pirates as he went 2 for 3 with a double and a triple, a run scored and two RBI. Dudley Leonora went 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored for Kinheim.