Dutch Hoofdklasse, Sunday August 2

On day three of round six in the second half of the season, the following games were scheduled:

L&D Amsterdam Pirates @ Pronto , Vaessen Pioniers @ HCAW, UVV @ Curacao Neptunus and Corendon Kinheim @ Mampaey the Hawks.

L&D Amsterdam Pirates – Pronto DSS  5 – 1

Once again the runs didn’t come cheap for L&D Amsterdam Pirates. Pronto DSS made them work for their money.
Bas Nooij drove in Kenny Berkenbosch with a double in the first inning but then Rick Geestman kep them from scoring for the remaining three innings he was on the mound. In the fifth he was relieved by Jorn van Ingen who also kept the Amsterdam team from scoring for one inning. But in the sixth PIrates scored two runs when Koen Nooij crossed homeplate on a throw by shortstop Joffrey Heus that couldn’t be handled by catcher Sven Jongejans. Rashid Gerard, who hit the ball towards the shortstop, advanced to second and eventually scored on a double hit by Linoy Croes.
In the seventh, Pronto DSS finally managed to get on the board. Robin Schel replaced Rob Cordemans who had given up three hits and had fanned six in six innings. Schel didn’t start very well as he walked the first two batters and gave up a bunt single to Seb Visser to load the bases. Levine Gabriels walked in the sole run for DSS on Schel’s pitching. At that point in the game, manager Charles Urbanus had seen enough and replaced Schel with Dennis Burgersdijk.  With Burgersdijk on the mound and the bases loaded, Tino van Erk thought that he could steal home plate but he was tagged out at. 
In the eighth Pirates scored two more runs to reach the final score. Rob Cordemans earned the win, Rick Geestman took the loss even though he gave up only one run in four innings. Linoy Croes had quite a day at bat, going 4 for 4 with a double, an RBI, a run scored and two stolen bases for Pirates. Mitchell Koot went 2 for 3 and drew a walk in four plate appearances. He also scored a run.

With this win, L&D Amsterdam Pirates finished the regular competition with 34 victories. They finished two points ahead of Curacao Neptunus. Normally both teams would meet next week, but since Neptunus has obligations in the European Cup, the games between the two were played in advance. Thanks to winning the regular competiton, Pirates assured a spot in the new format of the European Championships Cup, next year.

Vaessen Pioniers @ HCAW  16 – 0

In a game that wasn’t much of a game but merely a walk over, Vaessen Pioniers didn’t have any mercy with the team from Bussum. Pioniers’ Lars Huijer pitched six shut out innings in which he struck out nine HCAW batters. Taylor Clemensia pitched a perfect seventh in which he fanned two. After having scored two runs in the second inning, PIoniers scored a run on a bases loaded single by Vince Rooi in the third. With the bases still loaded, Mark Jan Moorman hit a grand slam. The inning would turn out even more disastrous as Pioniers scored five more. A run in the fourth, a run in the fifth and three in the seventh made Pioniers beat HCAW 16-0.
Sander Helmendach, who pitched 2.1 innings took the loss as he allowed nine runs on seven hits, walked four and struck out three. Roy Seltenrijch was the best hitter for HCAW, going 2 for 3. Daniel Fernandes went 4 for 4 for Pioniers with three runs scored and two doubles, but most impact had Mark Jan Moorman, who went 2 for 2 with four RBI (thanks to the grand slam homerun). Moorman also hit a double and scored twice.

UVV @ Curacao Neptunus  2 – 3

Another loss for UVV against Curacao Neptunus but a one in which they let the Rotterdam team work hard. One after wich they could step off the field with their heads up.
Neptunus openend the score in the second inning when Urving Kemp scored from third base. He had gotten there on a double and a single by Shurman Marlin. He scored on the hit by Mourik Huijser that lead to a force out at second and a fielder’s choice for Huijser.
UVV answered in the sixth inning. Gilmer Lampe was hit with a pitch and stole second before Tony Enos drew a walk. The single to center field, hit by Dennis de Quint, drove in Lampe and moved Enos to third. The sacrifice fly by Omar Williams drove in Enos to give UVV a one run lead. Eventually Neptunus tied the game. With Stijn van der Meer at second and Gianison Boekhoudt at first, Christian Diaz doubled to left field to tie the game at two, so extra innings were needed.
The difference in the tenth inning was the ability to lay down a bunt, something UVV couldn’t and Neptunus could. Jamie Verheyleweghen bunted foul with a two strike count and the other two hitters struck out looking. Neptunus placed Urving Kemp at first base and Christian Diaz at second. Shaldimar Daantji laid down a sac bunt that advanced both runners to the next base. After Oscar Meuris walked Rien Vernooij intentionally (which is not strange regarding his battign average), Adrian Anthony also laid down a single that drove in Christian Diaz from third for the 3-2 win.
Loek van Mil pitched the final two innings for the win. He did this in a perfect fashion and struck out three. Oscar Meuris took the loss after he had given up the game tying run and gave up the winning run in the tenth as well. Meuris. In 1.1 innings he walked two and gave up two hits.
Despite the fact that Christian Diaz went 3 for 5 with a double, a run scored and an RBI, Adrian Anthony had the biggest impact with his surprising pinch hit bunt that drove in the winning run.

Corendon Kinheim @ Mampaey the Hawks  2 – 3

The biggest surprise today was in Dordrecht as Mampaey the Hawks took on Corendon Kinheim from Haarlem.
Things seemed to go the normal way as Kinheim took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. After Jochem Koedijk got on base thanks to a surprising bunt, he advanced to second on a sac bunt by Jasper Keijzer. When Bryan Engelhardt’s hit resulted in a force out at second, Koedijk advanced to third. Dashenko Ricardo eventually drove in Koedijk on a single to left field.
Mampaey the Hawks answered in the bottom of the fifth. Wijnand Berend hit a lead off single and advanced to second on a balk by Nick Veltkamp.When Louis Sienders singled to left field, he advanced to second on the throwing error by left fielder Jasper Keijzer. Berend scored the tying run on the play. Sienders, on his turn, scored on Bruce Martinus’ single to give the Hawks the 2-1 lead. But Kinheim would get back in the seventh. Niels van Weert hit a lead off single and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Enoch Deaton and to third on a sacrifice bunt hit by Jochem Koedijk. Jasper Keijzer hit a sac fly to left field and drove in Van der Weert for the game tying run.
Kinheim’s Nick Veltkamp retired the first two hitters in the bottom of the eighth, but then couldn’t get out of the ininng. A throwing error by third baseman Mervin Gario allowed Tim Roodenburg to reach first base safely. A single by Berend Ruben and a walk by Jules Peters loaded the bases. Scott Ronnenbergh then replaced Veltkamp on the mound but he started with giving up a walk to Stephen Wharwood that gave the Hawks the 3-2 lead.
With one out in the ninth, Kinheim singled twice before Jochem Koedijk lined into an unassisted double play at third base.
Enoch Deaton went all the way for the win. In nine innings he gave up two runs on ten hits. He walked two and struck out four. Nick Veltkamp was tabbed with the loss. In 7.2 innings he allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits. He walked three and struck out six.
Best hitter for the Hawks was Wijnand Ruben, who went 2 for 2 with a run scored. Jochem Koedijk went 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored.

After this round, the standings are as follows: