Dutch hoofdklasse 2018: Relegation group, round 3, day 2

On the second day of round three in the relegation group, DSS headed to neighboring Hoofddorp to face Meerlease Pioniers and blew a five-run lead. Silicon Storks hosted Cityside Apartments Quick Amersfoort and was no match for its opponent.

DSS  9  –  10  Meerlease Pioniers
With Alexander Valdez on the mound for Meerlease Pioniers, DSS jumped on him and took a 7-1 lead in the first two innings before he settled down. In the next three innings, Pioniers inched closer as it scored a run in the third, in the fifth and in the sixth inning.
But in the seventh inning Pioniers stepped on it after DSS had scored twice on a home run by Denzel Richardson. With two outs and a runner on first, Pioniers started a rally that would score them six runs on two walks, two fielding errors, a single and a bases-clearing triple by Joey de Koning.
Despite giving up seven runs in seven innings, Alexander Valdez earned the win as he gave up fourteen hits and struck out six. Reggie Bomberg, who gave up six unearned runs in the final two innings took the loss.
Best hitter for Pioniers was Joey de Koning who went 3 for 4 with a triple and four RBI.

Cityside Apartments Quick Amersfoort  8  –  3  Silicon Storks
Juan Carlos Sulbaran had a slow start today. After he gave up four runs in the first innings, he settled down and pitched a solid game until the seventh inning. But it must be said that he didn’t get the necessary defensive support as Silicon Storks committed two errors that led to two unearned runs. The two earned runs were scored on singles by Rachid Engelhardt and Jelle Blaauw. Storks got on the board in the fifth when Runai Coran hit a leadoff triple and scored on a sac fly by Jurriaan Dijk.
In the seventh inning, Sulbaran got into trouble as he hit the leadoff batter with a pitch and gave up two singles that led to a run. After he was replaced by Jurrian Koks, the latter gave up a single that allowed Bryan Engelhardt to score. Eventually, Quick Amersfoort scored four more runs. Storks managed to score two more runs in the ninth but their offense fell short to clinch the win.
Winning pitcher was Colin van Laar, who pitched eight frames in which he gave up one-  run on two hits, walked three and struck out eleven. Juan Carlos Sulabaran took the loss. In six innings and three batters in the seventh, he gave up seven runs (five earned) on ten hits and two walks as he struck out nine.
Best hitters for Cityside Apartments Quick Amersfoort were Jelle Blaauw and Bryan Engelhardt as both went 3 for 5 with an RBI. Blaauw scored twice himself and Engelhardt once.
With this loss, Silicon Storks is sentenced to play a promotion/relegation series against the winner of the overgangsklasse.

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