Dutch hoofdklasse 2018: Round 8, day 2

Hoofddorp Pioniers  5  –  6  Curaçao Neptunus
Newspapers could head “Narrow escape for Neptunus” or “Pioniers blow a 5-2 lead.” No matter how you look at it, Curaçao Neptunus rallied in the ninth for the win. Hoofddorp took a surprising 2-0 lead in the first inning. After Neptunus cut the lead in half in the fifth, Pioniers scored twice to extend their lead to three runs in the sixth inning. After Pioniers scored one more time and Neptunus added two runs to their score, Pioniers led 5-3 at the start of the bottom of the ninth. Once again Neptunus proved it is a very experienced team that doesn’t get carried away. Pioniers on the other hand couldn’t handle the pressure as a fielding error by Pioniers’ second baseman Tyler Boersma led to an unearned run and a dropped fly ball in right field allowed Neptunus to load the bases. A bases-loaded walk, drawn by Gianison Boekhoudt and a sac fly hit by Dudley Leonora scored the game-tying and the walk-off run for Neptunus.
Taylor Clemensia earned the win for Neptunus after pitching in the ninth in which he did not allow a hit but gave up a walk. Ryan Oduber took the bitter loss as he gave up four runs (only one earned).
Best hitter for Curaçao Neptunus was Ruendrick Piternella, who went 1 for 2 and drew two walks.

L&D Amsterdam Pirates  9  –  0  DSS
Another clear victory for L&D Amsterdam Pirates. In fact, a four-run second inning would have been enough for the victory but the team moved on and scored five more times (two in the third inning, one in the sixth, eighth and ninth inning.
Kevin Heijsek cruised through eight innings and gave up only five hits and struck out five.
With the bases loaded in the second inning, Rodney Daal hit a grand slam to center field.
A single in the sixth by Remco Draijer, a home run in the eighth by Rachid Gerard and a fielding error in the ninth led to three more runs for Pirates. 
No surprise Kevin Heijstek earned the win. Tim Halderman took the loss as he gave up six runs (five earned) on six hits and two walks. Tim struck out two.
Rodney Daal was the best hitter for L&D Amsterdam Pirates, going 2 for 3 with a grand slam and thus four RBI.

HCAW  11  –  4  Cityside Apartments Quick Amersfoort
HCAW got even after Thursday’s loss. Today, in Amersfoort, the club scored eleven times to clinch a convincing victory. After HCAW scored thrice in the first inning, Cityside Apartments Quick Amersfoort scored once in the bottom of the first. In the second HCAW added another run to its total but one inning later, Quick Amersfoort would tie the game at four. But there its offense stalled as Kaj Timmermans kept them on a leash in the remaining innings of his seven-inning outing
HCAW scored two runs in the fourth, one in the sixth and four in the ninth inning. A walk by Seb Visser, singles by Vince Rooi and Kevin Weijgertse and a home run by Roland Laurens, drove in the four runs in the ninth.
Kaj Timmermans earned the win. In seven innings he gave up four runs on ten hits as he struck out ten. Colin van Laar took the loss. He allowed six runs on eight hits and three walks as he fanned three.
Best hitter for HCAW was Delano Selassa who went 4 for 5 with a double, two triples, an RBI and three runs scored.

Silicon Storks  2  –  6  De Glaskoning Twins
A solid performance by De Glaskoning Twins. Both the pitching and the offense carried the team to the victory today. Ten hits led to six runs and Misja Harcksen ruled on the mound. Misja did not allow a run in six innings of work in which he struck out thirteen (!). From the second inning, Twins scored at least a run in five consecutive innings.
It all started with a run in the second when Shurman Marlin scored an unearned run on a sac fly hit by Chris Gé. Despite two errors in that inning, Storks could limit Twins to that sole run. After another run in the third, Twins scored twice on Dennis de Quint’s single to right-center field. After a run in the fifth and the sixth, Twins’ offense was silenced. Quick Amersfoort eventually got on the board in the eighth. After a solid seventh inning, in which he retired the side, Shogo Nakashima was hit hard but also unlucky. Thanks to a fielding error, a triple and a sac fly, the team scored twice. Nevertheless, manager Knollenburg decided to keep Nakashima in the game and despite an HBP and a single, he got out of the ninth inning without any damage.
No surprise that Misja Harcksen earned the win. Martin Kram took the loss. In six innings, he gave up six runs (five earned) on nine hits and a walk and struck out two.
Just like last Thursday, Chris Gé was the best hitter. This time he went 2 for 3 with an RBI.

Here are a few impressions of the game: