Dutch hoofdklasse 2018: Relegation group, round 2, day 2
On the second day of round two, the two teams that promoted to the hoofdklasse last year stayed at the wrong side of the score. The game between DSS and Cityside Apartments Quick Amersfoort was a close one while the game between Silicon Storks and Meerlease Pioniers had a blowout score.
DSS 3 – 1 Cityside Apartments Quick Amersfoort
One inning and a solid outing by its pitching staff was all DSS needed to clinch the win.
In the first inning, with runners in scoring position, Denzel Richardson doubled to left-center field to drive in Kevin Nieveld and Mitchel Dautzenberg. On his turn, Richardson was driven in by Omar Williams, who singed to center field.
Despite having runners in scoring position in the third, the fourth and the sixth inning, the team did not score anymore.
In the fourth inning, Cityside Apartments Quick Amersfoort also had a runner in scoring position but an inning-ending double play ended the chance to get closer in the game.
Eventually, in the seventh inning, Quick Amersfoort got on the board when Bryan Engelhardt singled up the middle, stole second, advanced to third on an error by the pitcher and scored on a single by Remian Demis. But that was all Quick Amersfoort was capable of. 
Scott Prins pitched 6.1 innings for the win as he gave up one run on three hits and as many walks and struck out five. Jos de Jong pitched nine innings and gave up three runs on ten hits and struck out two but was tabbed with the loss nevertheless.
Best hitters for DSS were Kevin Nieveld and Omar Williams as both went 2 for 4.
Meerlease Pioniers 19 – 1 Silicon Storks
In a game that never was a real game, Meerlease Pioniers was vastly superior. In seven
innings the team from Hoofddorp humiliated Silicon Storks. It was like the pitchers of Storks were throwing batting practice. Martin Kram survived just one inning in which he gave up eight runs (five earned) on seven hits. His successor, José Moreno, lasted 2.2 innings and surrendered five runs on four hits and two walks. By then the game was already played. Only one pitcher of the five that Storks used managed to get a strikeout.
Alexander Valdez pitched seven strong innings in which he allowed only one run on five hits, walked two and struck out six.
There wasn’t an inning in the seven-inning game in which Pioniers did not score a run.
They scored seven runs in the first, two in the second, two in the third and two in the fourth, one in the fifth and the seventh and four in the sixth.
Valdez earned the win while Kram was tabbed with the loss.
Best hitters for Meerlease Pioniers were Mervin Gario and Duko Nuijten as they both went 3 for 4. Gario hit a double and a home run, drove in five runs and scored four times. Nuijten scored thrice.
With still no victory in the relegation group, it will be tough for Silicon Storks to avoid a relegation series against the champion of the overgangsklasse.
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