Dutch hoofdklasse 2018: Playoffs, round 2, day 3

Today, both main candidates for a spot in the Holland Series had to work hard to clinch a win. Curaçao Neptunus hosted HCAW from Bussum and L&D Amsterdam Pirates hosted De Glaskoning Twins.

HCAW 3 – 6 Curaçao Neptunus
After two scoreless innings, HCAW took the lead in the third. A throwing error by pitcher HCAW Brendan Schoemaker allowed Julian Goins to get on base. A passed ball allowed him to advance to second base before he moved to third on a sac bunt by Bryce Cherry.
After only 2.2 innings, Loek van Mil, who is normally the closer, entered the game and started his outing with giving up a single to Delano Selassa that drove in Goins for the opening run. But in the bottom of the very same inning, Neptunus tied the game on a sac fly by Benjamin Dille that drove in Darryl Collins.
One inning later, HCAW regained the lead when Vince Rooi and Kevin Weijgertse singled and Berend Ruben and Patrick Bok grounded out to drive in Vince Rooi for the go-ahead run. But this time, Neptunus would not only tie the game, it would walk away in the same inning. With the bases loaded, Gregory Muller drove in two with a double down the left field line. After Dennis Burgersdijk was replaced by Sem Robberse on the mound, Benjamin Dille hit a bases-clearing double that drove in three. HCAW would score one more run in the sixth but wasn’t able to get any closer afterward. Neptunus
Loek van Mil pitched 4.1 innings for the win in a rather unusual role. He allowed two runs on eight hits, walked one and struck out four. Dennis Burgersdijk, who has been solid all season, had an off day as he gave up five runs in 3.2 innings.
Darryl Collins, who will join the Kansas City Royals organization after the Holland Series, was the best hitter today as he went 2 for 2 with two runs scored.

De Glaskoning Twins 5 – 6 L&D Amsterdam Pirates
In today’s game, another exciting one, L&D Amsterdam Pirates had to go deep to clinch the win.
Twins The home plate umpire had a very negative influence on the game today. It was like he had a different strike zone for both sides. When De Glaskoning Twins’ manager Kevin Knollenburg made a remark about that

Image may contain: 1 person, playing a sport, baseball and outdoor — The moment Kevin Knollenburg was tossed (photo © Dutch Baseball Hangout)

in the sixth inning, he was tossed. Sad note: Yesterday, Pirates’ manager Charles Urbanus freaked out because of a wrong call. He went berserk and the umpires did not toss him. You can wonder what is the problem: Double standards or just fear to toss someone with a big reputation.
Anyhow, Twins was beleaguered for a while and Pirates took advantage. With a 3-1 lead, Twins’ defense collapsed. Pastor Chavez Martinez pitched a solid game until the sixth inning. But then he tweaked his ankle and had to be pulled. Jan Evertse took over on the mound. Evertse kept Pirates from scoring in the sixth but in the seventh, he lost his control. Several walks and a wild pitch and an HBP gave Pirates a 4-3 lead in just one inning but by then Evertse had been replaced by Reynaldo Sarmiento Claro.
Still, Twins managed to regroup and tie the game in the eighth inning. With runners in scoring position, Jamie Verheyleweghen hit into a force out at second which drove in Bob van der Meer. After Reynaldo Sarmiento Claro managed to keep Pirates scoreless in the eighth inning, the Amsterdam based team pushed for the winning run in the ninth. As the Twins’ defense wasn’t able to field two bunts, the bases got loaded before Nield van Weert hit towards shortstop Bob van der Meer who could not handle the hit and thus allowed Pirates to score the walk-off run.
Despite failing to keep Twins from scoring, Jim Ploeger earned the win after 1.2 innings in which he walked two and fanned one. Reynaldo Sarmiento Claro took the loss as he gave up one run on four hits in 1.2 innings.
Best hitter for L&D Amsterdam Pirates was Nick Urbanus, who went 2 for 2 with an RBI.