Dutch playoffs 2017: Round 1, day 2

On the second day of the first playoff round, L&D Amsterdam Pirates crushed Hoofddorp Pioniers and made a statement as one of the candidates to reach the Holland Series. Even though HCAW did not win, they made Curaçao Neptunus work hard for their money.

Hoofddorp Pioniers  0  –  12  L&D Amsterdam Pirates
In a game that never was a game, L&D Amsterdam Pirates outscored Hoofddorp Pioniers 12-0 and outhit them 10-3. Kevin Heijstek pitched seven shutout innings for the win in which he allowed only three hits and struck out two. Pioniers needed three pitchers, who combined for ten earned runs, four walks, and two Ks.
A four-run first inning was enough to clinch the win for the Amsterdam based team. With Remco Draijer at second base and two outs, Pioniers’ starting pitcher Chris Pfau couldn’t get out of the inning. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases and Danny Rombley hit a bases clearing double to give Pirates a 3-0 lead. A passed ball and a double to left center field, hit by Rachid Gerard, drove in Rombley for the 4-0 lead.
A three-run third, a two-run fourth and a three-run sixth sealed the fate for Pioniers. 
Chris Pfau took the loss after 2.1 innings in which he gave up seven runs on seven hits and two walks.

Best hitter for L&D Amsterdam Pirates was Gilmer Lampe, who went 2 for 2 with four runs scored. The most impact had Danny Rombley, who went 3 for 4 with a double, six (!) RBI and a run scored.

Curaçao Neptunus  3  –  2  HCAW
As written in the prologue, HCAW did not win, but they made Neptunus work hard for its money.
Neptunus took a quick lead in the first inning on a home run to right field, hit by Gianison Boekhoudt, who took Benjamin Dille with him.
Three innings later Neptunus added, what appeared to be the insurance run. With runners in scoring position and two outs, Jochem Koedijk singled to center field to drive in Daniel Fernandes.
It took HCAW until the sixth inning to get on the board. Neptunus’ starting pitcher, Orlando Yntema, struggled with his command as he walked Vince Rooi and hit Rachid Engelhardt with a pitch. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Yntema’s struggles were not over as he threw a wild pitch that allowed Vince Rooi to score the first run for HCAW.
Yntema was replaced by Elton Koeiman in the seventh inning and he would allow an unearned run as leadoff hitter Boyd Tuhumury reached base on a throwing error by third baseman Dwayne Kemp. Tuhumury advanced to second on a 6-4 groundout, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single hit by Kevin Dirksen. But from there, HCAW did not come close to score a run as Loek van Mil and Berry van Driel shut the door. Yntema earned his first win of the season (after a long absence due to illness) and Berry van Driel earned the save. Kaj Timmermans, who pitched 6.2 innings, took the loss.

Best hitter for Curaçao Neptunus was Benjamin Dille, who went 3 for 5 with a run scored. 

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