Dutch hoofdklasse 2018: Playoffs, round 2, day 2

Curaçao Neptunus restored the order after the humiliating loss vs HCAW last Thursday. Today’s game was a lot closer though. L&D Amsterdam Pirates beat De Glaskoning Twins in a very attractive game. 

Curaçao Neptunus  3  –  1  HCAW
Compared to Thursday’s game, not really much happened today. The number of runs that were scored was much lower. Neptunus opened the score in the second inning when Dudley Leonora hit a solo shot down the left field line. But Kaj Timmermans kept his team in the game for five innings as he limited Neptunus to four hits. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Orlando Yntema had a bad inning in the game as he started by giving up a walk to Jeandro Tromp. Tromp then advanced to second base on a sac bunt laid down by Delano Selassa. Yntema then threw a wild pitch that allowed Tromp to advance to third base. Thanks to a single by Kevin Weijgertse, Tromp could touch home plate for the tying run. But in the sixth inning, Neptunus flexed its muscles once more. Jochem Koedijk drew a walk and advanced to second on a sac bunt. Back-to-back singles by Benjamin Dille and Dwayne Kemp gave Neptunus the lead again. With the bases loaded and one out, Dudley Leonora flied into a double play as he hit towards the center fielder, who caught his fly ball and then fired to ball to second base where Gianison Boekhoudt was bowled off the base. But the third out was not made in time to prevent Benjamin Dille from scoring the insurance run.
Orlando Yntema lasted eight innings in which he gave up one run on four hits and a walk and struck out five for the win. Bery van Driel pitched a perfect ninth for the save. 
Kaj Timmermans took the loss after six innings as he gave up three runs on seven hits and a walk and struck out three.
Best hitter for Curaçao Neptunus was Dudley Leonora who went 2 for 3 with a home run, two RBI and a run scored.

L&D Amsterdam Pirates  9  –  4  De Glaskoning Twins
In an exciting game in which the score flip-flopped, L&D Amsterdam Pirates eventually stayed at the right side of the score. But the final score was rather flattered as both teams were pretty much each other’s match for the biggest part of the game.
Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the third inning thanks to a solo home run by Victor Draijer and when Remco Draijer scored from third base when Nick Urbanus hit into a double play. But Pirates’ lead would not last long as De Glaskoning Twins tied the game in the same inning. Back-to-back-to-back singles drove in Bob van der Meer and Jarreau Martina.
After Pirates took a one-run lead in the sixth inning, Twins showed some flexibility. Two innings later, a towering two-run home run by Shurman Marlin gave Twins the lead.
But eventually, in the ninth inning, things went wrong for Twins. After Jakob Syrén gave up two walks, he was replaced by Thijs Steenwijk. Remco Draijer drove the fifth pitch that Steenwijk threw into the gap in right-center field for a bases-clearing triple. But the damage wasn’t done yet. A sac fly, a single, a home run, another walk a wild pitch and another single drove in four more runs for Pirates.
Kevin Heijstek pitched eight innings in which he gave up four hits on nine hits and a walk and struck out four for the win. Jakob Syrén took the loss.
Best hitter for L&D Amsterdam Pirates was Kenny Berkenbosch who went 3 for 4 with a double and a home run, two RBI and two runs scored.

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