Dutch playoffs 2017: Round 6, day 1

A lot of unfamiliar faces on the mounds today. As many games rained out last week, the starting pitchers did not have enough rest to throw a game today, so most managers sent out a reliever to the mound to start the games. Only Curaçao Neptunus had a familiar face on the mound as pitching coach Elton Koeiman started the game vs L&D Amsterdam Pirates. Koeiman pitched many games this year because of the absence of Orlando Yntema, who was on the DL for a big part of the season.

Hoofddorp Pioniers  13  –  3  HCAW
HCAW manager Roelie Henrique sr. sent out reliever Sedley Karel to the mound and Pioniers manager Dè Flanegin sent out Luuk ter Beek. Even though the youngster was only used as a reliever so far, he started many games in the overgangsklasse before he was promoted to the hoofdklasse. 
Sedley Karel struggled in the first inning as he gave up two walks and hit Mark Smit with a pitch to load the bases. Max Draijer singled home two runs before Karel gave up another walk that loaded the bases. A passed ball then allowed Shurman Marlin to score the third run for Pioniers in the first inning.
But HCAW would tie the game as it scored two runs in the bottom of the first on a passed ball and a single to left field hit by Rossini Frolijk and one run in the third when Kevin Dirksen homered to left center field.

Pioniers would take a lead again in the fifth inning on two singles, a double and two errors that allowed them to score four runs. A four-run sixth inning made Pioniers walk away to an 11-3 lead. After his team scored two more runs in the seventh inning, Pioniers’ manager Dè Flanegin made a surprising move (or perhaps it wasn’t). Luuk ter Beek, who gave the bullpen a much-needed rest after Tuesday’s crazy game in which the Hoofddorp bullpen blew an 8-0 lead, cruised through the fourth, fifth and sixth inning but was replaced by Jeffrey Arends, normally playing first base, after he recorded the first out of the seventh inning. This move may indicate that Flanegin was out of relievers. Arends retired the final two hitters of the seventh inning to end the game on the mercy rule.

Luuk ter Beek earned his first hoofdklasse win after pitching 6.1 innings in which he gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk and struck out four. Sedley Karel took the loss. In 4.2 innings, he gave up seven runs (four earned) on five hits and three walks and struck out seven.

Best hitter for Pioniers was Mervin Gario with two hits out of two at bats and four runs scored. With four RBI, Max Draijer had the most impact as he went 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored.

Curaçao Neptunus  6  –  5  L&D Amsterdam Pirates
It showed that Elton Koeiman has pitched as a starter this season. For the biggest part of his outing, he cruised through the innings. Reliever Nick Veltkamp was sent to the mound by manager Charles Urbanus. Veltkamp is struggling this season and so he did tonight in the four innings he lasted. In those four innings, he gave up five runs on five hits and three walks.
Neptunus jumped on Veltkamp immediately. Two walks and a throwing error on a double steal attempt, allowed Stijn van der Meer to score the opening run. A double and three consecutive singles drove in three more runs for Neptunus.
Pirates inched closer in the second inning when Kenny Berkenbosch could score on Jesse Aussems’ single. In the fifth Neptunus scored another run but Pirates countered in the same inning by scoring one themselves.
But in the seventh inning, Pirates made it a game again. Misja Harcksen replaced Elton Koeiman and Pirates jumped on him. A fielding error, three consecutive singles, and a 3-1 groundout drove in three runs to make it 6-5. In the bottom of the eighth, Pirates had a golden opportunity to tie the game as it had a runner in scoring position with only one out. But reliever Berry van Driel denied Pirates that opportunity as he retired the next two hitters. After a period in which he struggled quite a bit, Dennis Burgersdijk had a very good outing today. He pitched two frames in which he blanked Neptunus and struck out one.
Loek van Mil shut the door in the ninth as he retired the side for the save. 
Elton Koeiman earned the win in this exciting game. In six innings, he gave up two runs on eight hits and a walk and struck out four. Nick Veltkamp took the loss.

Two of the nine Neptunus batters did not get a hit. The others all got one, some going 1 for 3 and some going 1 for 4. Most impact though had Ruar Verkerk, who drove in two runs.

With the win, Neptunus clinched home field advantage with the upcoming Holland Series.

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