2019 Playdowns round two: Silicon Storks secures spot in 2020 hoofdklasse, DSS to play against relegation

At the start of the playdowns, nobody expected this to happen. Silicon Storks ended dead last in the regular competition. But now the team has clinched a spot in the 2020 hoofdklasse by beating DSS today 8-0 to win the series 3-1.

Silicon Storks and DSS collected about the same numbers of base hits, Storks nine and DSS seven. Nevertheless, Storks was much more efficient than DSS. In the first inning, Storks scored twice. A bases-loaded sac fly and a single through the left side gave the team from The Hague a 2-0 lead. In the second inning, Joost van den Bergh scored an unearned run after he had gotten on base thanks to a fielding error by DSS’ shortstop.

After giving up two more runs in the third, DSS’ pitching settled down a bit. Juan Carlos Sulbaran was directed to the mound by DSS’ manager and pitched 4.2 innings in which he limited Storks to one run on three hits and struck out five.

After the one run that Sulbaran allowed in the eighth inning, Storks scored two more in the ninth. Second baseman Diamond Silberie made a throwing error that allowed Johnny Schmook and Kevin Nieveld to score the seventh and eighth run for Storks.

Sad not for DSS was that of the eight runs their pitching allowed, only one was earned. With five errors, the team was a big factor in its own defeat.

Martin Kram pitched 5.2 innings for the win. He gave up four hits, walked two and fanned five.

Best hitter for Silicon Storks was Joey Schmook as he went 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. 

Thanks to this loss, DSS is destined to play a best-of-five series against the winner of the overgangsklasse. The winner of that series will clinch a spot in the 2020 hoofdklasse. Currently, Eurostars is leading the overgangsklasse.

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