Dutch hoofdklasse 2019: Round 12, day 2

On day two of the twelfth round, Quick Amersfoort hosted Curaçao Neptunus, HCAW headed to Hoofddorp to face Meerlease Pioniers, DSS took on L&D Amsterdam Pirates in Haarlem and Silicon Storks hosted Oosterhout Twins.

HCAW  3  –  2  Meerlease Pioniers
With two hours and eight minutes, it was a quick game in Hoofddorp, especially thanks to a nice pitching duel between Kaj Timmermans and Lars Huijer. Until the eighth inning, most of the innings were rather quick even though both teams had chanced to break open the game. In the second inning, for example, Pioniers had a good opportunity when it had runners on first and second with one out. But Damian Melis hit into an inning-ending double play. In the fourth, HCAW had a runner in scoring position with one out but Lars Huijer retired the final two hitters on foul outs.
In the eighth inning, with two outs and a runner on second, Lars Huijer couldn’t get out of the inning. After a wild pitch, a throwing error and a double, HCAW led 2-0 and Huijers was pulled for Angelo Wicklert, who recorded the final out of the inning, but not before Rodney Daal had scored the third (unearned) run for HCAW.
In the eighth and ninth inning, Pioniers rallied for two runs (a run per inning) but they couldn’t get any closer.
Kaj Timmermans, who pitched eight innings and allowed one run on seven hits and a walk and struck out eight, earned the win. Lars Huijer took the loss.
Ruendrick Piternella was the best hitter for HCAW with two hits out of four at-bats. a

L&D Amsterdam Pirates  6  –  2  DSS
The final score my imply an easy victory for L&D Amsterdam Pirates but it wasn’t all that easy. After the first two innings, the team led 2-0 and with runners on first and second with no outs int the third, Pirates appeared to walk away but when Niels van Weert was caught stealing, Denzel Richardson struck out and Sharlon Schoop flied out, the team blew a big opportunity to extend the lead. In the bottom of the third, Aldi Guzman tied the game with a two-run shot off Kevin Heijstek. Also in the fourth, Pirates had an opportunity to extend the lead with runners on first and second and just one out. But also this time, the next two batters were retired. Eventually, in the fifth, Pirates managed to take the lead again. With two outs, back-to-back doubles by Denzel Richardson and Sharlon Schoop drove in a run.
In the sixth, three consecutive singles and a throwing error led to two more runs for Pirates. Denzel Richardson’s single to center field, eventually led to Pirates third run on the inning and the final run of the game.
After DSS scored two runs in the third, Kevin Heijstek was relieved after retiring one batter in the fourth. Jhan Rifaela pitched 3.2 innings in which he walked two and struck out three for the win. Sander Helmendach went 5.1 innings and gave up six runs on eleven hits and two walks and fanned two as he took the loss.
Today’s backstop, Rashid Gerard, was Pirates’ best hitter as he went 4 for 4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.

Oosterhout Twins  12  –  4  Silicon Storks
A four-run second inning laid the foundation for Twins’ victory. The four runs were not enough to clinch the victory, as it would appear later in the game. Four singles, a walk, a fielding error and a force out led to the four runs in that second frame.
In the bottom of that second inning, a single by Giovanny Perez and a triple by Sergio Schoop put Silicon Storks on the board. A two-run third and a three-run fourth inning lead to a decisive lead for Twins, as Storks managed to score only three more runs. In the final two innings, Twins managed to score three insurance runs when Joshua Zara scored on Max Kops’ double in the eighth and Jerzy van Gool and Nick Peels both scored on a double hit by Jarreau Martina, who had just returned from Italy.
Nick Veale pitched five innings for the win, in which he gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits and three walks and struck out one. Gijs Timmer took the loss. After three innings and six runs allowed (four earned), he was pulled for Martin Kram. Today’s game was a festival of errors as Storks committed six miscues that led to five unearned runs. Twins also committed two errors that led to one unearned run.
Best hitter for Oosterhout Twins was Stijn Janssens, who went 2 for 2 with a run scored. With the help of Neptunus, Twins is trailing Quick Amersfoort by two points (one game) for fifth place. If they manage to get alongside, Twins still has to overcome twelve points (six games) to overtake Meerlease Pioniers for fourth place, a daunting task. 

Curaçao Neptunus    –    Quick Amersfoort
In a game in which Quick Amersfoort took the lead thrice, Curaçao Neptunus fought its way back as many times. Once again, a big inning led to a rather flattering score that did not really represent the balance of power of the previous innings.
After tying the game at three in the seventh, starting pitcher Geert-Jan Willems was replaced in the eighth. From that moment, things went terribly wrong for Quick Amersfoort. Jasper Popken who replaced Willems, did not record an out and was tabbed for four runs as allowed a run on a bases-loaded walk before he was pulled. Two sac flies and a two-run home run by Dwayne Kemp led to five more runs to give Neptunus a commanding lead.
Kevin Kelly, who replaced Orlando Yntema in the seventh, earned the win as he didn’t allow a hit but walked three. With Brendan Schoemaker on the mound, Quick Amersfoort managed to score one more run in the ninth on a single by Tijmen Takke.
Jasper Popken took the loss.
Average-wise, Dudley Leonora was the best hitter for Neptunus as he went 1 for 2 with an RBI and a run scored.
Neither team didn’t quite play perfect baseball as they committed five errors combined (Quick Amersfoort three and Neptunus 2).

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