Dutch hoofdklasse 2019: L&D Amsterdam Pirates keeps Curaçao Neptunus at bay

Tonight L&D Amsterdam Pirates and Curaçao Neptunus faced each other in a game that still needed to be played as both teams were playing in the European Champions Cup.

L&D Amsterdam Pirates    –    Curaçao Neptunus
What appeared to become an easy win for L&D Amsterdam Pirates turned out to be a “narrow” escape in the end as Curaçao Neptunus got within five runs from Pirates.
For two innings, both starting pitchers kept the opponent in check but in the third, Misja Harcksen didn’t get the needed defensive support. After recording a quick out, two singles and a walk loaded the bases before Niels van Weert reached on a fielding error that allowed Rashid Gerard to score the opening run. A sac fly by Gilmer Lampe allowed Max Clarijs to score an unearned run and two more unearned runs were scored on singles by Denzel Richardson and Kenny Berkenbosch.
In the bottom of the fourth, Curaçao Neptunus got on the board when Willie “Coco” Johnson singled to the shortstop to drive in Shaldimar Daantji. Back-to-back doubles by Greg Muller and Willie Johnson drove in another run for Neptunus in the sixth.
L&D Amsterdam Pirates scraped up some runs in the innings following that third frame: one in the fifth on a wild pitch, three in the sixth on a double to left field, one on a wild pitch and on a single through the left side and one on a triple to center field in the seventh. In the eighth inning, Linoy Croes led off with a triple to center field and scored thanks to a sac fly hit by Victor Draijer.
After taking over from Jim Ploeger on the mound in the seventh, Mike Groen got into problems in the bottom of the eighth as he allowed runners on the corners with one out. That is where Tom Stuifbergen entered the game. But Stuifbergen couldn’t keep Neptunus from scoring as he gave up
two singles and a triple that led to four runs before he recorded the final out of the game as the game was shortened by the curfew rule that doesn’t allow night games to start a new inning after 22:30 (10:30 PM).
Jim Ploeger earned the win after six innings of work in which he allowed two runs on ten hits and three walks and struck out three. Misja Harcksen took the loss as he lasted just 2.2 innings. He gave up four runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks and struck out two.
Best hitter for L&D Amsterdam Pirates was Denzel Richardson who went 3 for 5 with a double, a triple, three RBI and a run scored.

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