Dutch hoofdklasse 2018: Deferred matches
Tonight two deferred matches were scheduled. Meerlease Pioniers headed to neighboring Amsterdam to face L&D Amsterdam Pirates and De Glaskoning Twins “hosted” Curaçao Neptunus in Rotterdam.
Meerlease Pioniers 1 – 6 L&D Amsterdam Pirates
In the first six innings, runs did not come cheap tonight as Luuk ter Beek pitched a very
solid game for Meerlease Pioniers. Until the sixth inning, Ter Beek kept L&D Amsterdam Pirates limited to only one hit. He kept his opponent in check with a variety of pitches but especially his knuckleball was unhittable. Pioniers took an early lead in the first inning when Max Draijer hit a sac fly to center field, with runners in scoring position, and thus allowed Mark Smit to score the opening run.
Kyle Ward didn’t pitch a bad game either but he wasn’t as dominant as Luuk ter Beek was as he gave up five hits in six innings for which he needed 77 pitches.
In the seventh, Pirates turned the tables thanks to a couple of defensive miscues. Ter Beek did not help his own cause as he started the inning by giving up a walk to leadoff hitter Nick Urbanus. When Kenny Berkenbosch laid down a (sac) bunt, Ter Beek made a throwing error that allowed Berkenbosch to reach first base safely. Another throwing error, a single, a throwing error during a pickoff attempt and a home run led to five runs for Pirates. At that point, Ter Beek was replaced by Daniel Vos. With De Vos on the mound, Pirates would score one more run to take a commanding 6-1 lead. 
Despite his decent outing, Kyle Ward did not get the win. That honor went to Daan Hendrix who already was in the game when Pirates turned the game around. In two innings, Hendrix did not allow a hit and struck out one.
Best hitter for L&D Amsterdam Pirates was Niels van Weert, who went 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Curaçao Neptunus 9 – 5 De Glaskoning Twins
A lopsided game in this “home” stand for De Glaskoning Twins. Curaçao Neptunus was
much too strong for the club from Oosterhout. By no means Twins was capable to give Neptunus a hard time. Shabby defense and shaky pitching did not help their cause.
Two fielding errors led to four unearned runs.
After an early lead by Neptunus in the first inning, Brian Biezen hit a solo home run to right center field to tie the game. But a four-run third inning for Neptunus set the tone. Three singles, two walks, a fielding error and a passed ball resulted in a disastrous inning for Twins. Pastor Chavez Martinez struggled with his control and was replaced after four innings in which he threw 91 pitches. Jan Evertse, normally used as a fireman, struggled with his control as well. An HBP, a walk and a wild pitch combined with a single, a fielder’s choice and a sac fly led to three runs. But Evertse settled down in the next innings as he retired the side in the sixth and seventh and the ninth inning and gave up one hit in the eighth inning. Unlike two months ago, when Twins handed Neptunus its first loss of the season, Elton Koeiman kept Twins in check rather well. In five innings, he gave up one run on three hits, walked two and fanned five.
In the seventh inning, with Jiorgeny Casimiri on the mound, Twins inched closer as they
scored three two-out runs. After Taylor Clemensia gave up a bases-loaded walk to Brian Biezen in the eighth inning, manager Jaarsma sent Loek van Mil to the mound to stop the offensive aspirations of Twins. With this move, the game was over before it even ended as van Mil served up the pitch to Jarreau Martina that was hit into an inning-ending double play and gave up just one single in the ninth.
The win went to Elton Koeiman. Pastor Chavez Martinez took the loss. 
Best hitter for Curaçao Neptunus was Stijn van der Meer, who went 2 for 2 with three runs scored.
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