Dutch hoofdklasse 2018: Round 3, day 1
Unlike normal Thursdays, today’s games were played at daytime. DSS hosted Curaçao Neptunus, Cityside Apartments Quick Amersfoort hosted L&D Amsterdam Pirates, HCAW headed to The Hague to face Silicon Storks and De Glaskoning Twins hosted Hoofddorp Pioniers.
Curaçao Neptunus 12 – 5 DSS
Curaçao Neptunus remains unbeaten as they clinched an easy victory in Haarlem. Two
big innings meant the difference. A five-run second and a four-run ninth.
Shaldimar Daantji led off the second inning with a triple down the left field line and scored on Gregory Muller’s single to left-center field. With Muller and Koedijk in scoring position, Benjamin Dille drove them home on a single to center field. Dille scored all the way from first base on Dwayne Kemp’s double to left field and Kemp scored on Dudley Leonora’s double after he stole third base.
DSS on its turn scored two runs in the second, one in the fifth and two in the eighth but it wasn’t enough to give Neptunus a hard time.
With the bases loaded in the ninth inning, Benjamin Dille got on base thanks to a fielder’s choice/fielding error that allowed Quentin de Cuba to score. A balk by Kevin Nieveld allowed Jochem Koedijk to score the second run of that inning. A 6-3 groundout by Dwayne Kemp and a single down the left field line by Dudley Leonora drove in two more runs for Neptunus.
Diegomar Markwell pitched seven innings for the win. He gave up three runs on five
hits, walked two and struck out five.
The loss went to Greg Mosel. Mosel lasted three innings in which he gave up seven runs on ten hits, walked one and struck out one.
Best hitter for Curaçao Neptunus was Dwayne Kemp, who went 4 for 6 with a double, two RBI and a run scored.
L&D Amsterdam Pirates 9 – 0 Cityside Apartments Quick Amersfoort
An undisputed victory for L&D Amsterdam Pirates that outscored and outhit Cityside
Apartments Quick Amersfoort. Pirates collected nineteen base hits and Quick only three.
The four errors Quick Amersfoort committed didn’t have much of an impact as only one unearned run was scored.
Kevin Heijstek pitched a complete game for the win in which he gave up two singles in the second inning and one in the third. He struck out three and didn’t issue a walk. In fact, the way Heijstek kept Quick on a leash, the three-run second inning would have been enough, but Pirates had another big inning in the third. With runners on first and second, Niels van Weert singled to left field and drove in Linoy Croes from second base.
A triple by Max Clarijs and a single by Remco Draijer drove in three more runs. 
With a one-run fourth and a one-run fifth, Pirates reached the final score.
Brian van Laar took the loss. In three innings, he gave up seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and three walks as he struck out five.
Best hitter for L&D Amsterdam Pirates was Linoy Croes who went 4 for 5 with a home run.
HCAW 12 – 3 Silicon Storks
A steady victory for HCAW in The Hague. Compared to Neptunus and Pirates, the club
did not have a big inning but scored in five of the nine innings. Three three-run innings made the difference in this game. Without these three innings, the game would have ended in a 3-3 tie.
A walk and a stolen base by Jeandro Tromp, a single by Roelie Henrique, a double by Vince Rooi and a single by Seb Visser drove in three runs in the first inning.
Silicon Storks managed to score three runs in the seventh inning but by then, the race was already run. Aldrich Guzman led off the inning with a solo home run. After Philp Brandl walked, Nick Nefs followed with a double that allowed Brandl to advance to third. Tyron de Windt followed with another single that drove in Brandl and allowed Nefs to move to third. Nefs eventually scored the third run on a throw to second base where
Tyron de Windt was caught stealing.
Dennis Burgersdijk earned the win for HCAW. In 6.1 innings he gave up three runs on five hits and two walks. Dennis struck out ten. The loss went to Nick Winkel, who allowed eight runs on eight hits and two walks in four innings.
Best hitter for HCAW was Roelie Henrique, who went 3 for 4 with a double, five RBI and three runs scored.
Hoofddorp Pioniers 2 – 1 De Glaskoning Twins
A pitching duel in Oosterhout. Both Lars Huijer (Hoofddorp Pioniers) and Pastor Chavez
Martinez (De Glaskoning Twins) made quite a show. For three innings, both pitchers kept the opponent on a leash but in the fourth, Pioniers opened the score. Chavez Martinez allowed Pioniers to load the bases. On a sac fly, Ibrahin Redan crossed home plate.
But in the fifth inning, Twins managed to tie the game in the fifth inning when Bram Grooten led off the inning with a double to left-center field. Grooten advanced to third on a 1-3 groundout hit by Nick Peels. Max Kops’ double allowed Grooten to score the tying run.
Eventually, a surprising move by Pioniers decided the game. With runners on first and second in the seventh inning, Duco Nuijten laid down a slash bunt that surprised everyone. As it looked like he was about to bunt, first baseman Shurman Marlin moved in. Marlin wasn’t able to field the slash bunt but second baseman Sam Kennelly who covered first base couldn’t get a grip on the ball either. Eventually, he managed to get the out at first base but could not prevent Glenn Bakker to score the second run for Pioniers.
Many of the Twins hitters helped Lars Huijer to pitch a complete game as they did not work the count. Lars only needed 99 pitches to finish the job. Of course, it is not an embarrassment to be beaten by Lars Huijer as has several years of professional experience under his belt. But if the Twins lineup had worked the count a 
bit better, Huijer may have not lasted that long and the game could have had a different outcome. But nevertheless, it was a nice game to watch.
Of course, Lars Huijer earned the win as he gave up one run on six hits and fanned ten.
Jan Evertse took the loss. He gave up the game-winning run on one hit and two walks.
Best hitter for Hoofddorp Pioniers was Joey de Koning, who went 1 for 1 and drew three walks.
Here are some impressions of the game:
