by Pim van Nes
Under serenely blue skies around the international airport of Amsterdam, the scores in Hoofdklasse playoffs were tied 1-1 in each series. Defending champion Corendon Kinheim started with lefthander Patrick Beljaards on the mound in Hoofddorp and took an early 2-0 lead versus Konica Minolta Pioniers, but it had to regain the lead after the home team had evened the score 2-2. Also Pioniers starter Roger Kops played well in game two and was relieved by Robin van Doornspeek. Kinheim scored the 3-2 and their closer Michiel van Kampen saved the first Kinheim win in the postseason. Both clubs reached a victory in their road game: 3-9 in Haarlem last Thursday and 2-3 in Hoofddorp today.
Also in the Pirates’ Ookmeer Park the revenge was reached by the first losing team. Last Thursday L&D Amsterdam was defeated 11-1 in seven innings by the powerful DOOR Neptunus, but today in Amsterdam the boys of manager Rikkert Faneyte had a lead in the score as from the third inning (1-0), advanced to 5-0 in the fifth and defended their advantage to the final score of 5-2 after nine Neptunus attacks. Man of the winning team was second baseman Jair Koeiman, but man of the losing team was starting pitcher Diegomar Markwell. Koeiman singled twice as leadoff and doubled once in four at bats, but he also closed a dangerous attack by Neptunus in the eighth inning. Koeiman showed a one-hand double play with a flyout and a force out at second, when Eugene Kingsale and Benjamin Dille were on base and Raily Legito in the box.
Starting pitcher Markwell on the other hand marked the defeat, though he started well. In his first four innings he allowed only two hits, but involuntarily helped Amsterdam to take the lead with his second defensive error in the third inning. In the fifth inning he committed his third defensive error and Koeiman scored his second run in the game: 2-0. With two bases loaded by Wesley Connor (his third single) and Marvin Bleij (walk), best Olympic catcher Sidney de Jong launched a three-run homerun for the 5-0 lead for Amsterdam. Manager Eric de Bruin decided to relieve his starter and asked Jurjen van Zijl from the bullpen. Van Zijl worked for 3 2/3 scoreless innings and saw his batters improve in the second half of the game. Jeroen Sluijter doubled and scored in the sixth and Jeffrey Arends homered in the seventh, but three Amsterdam relievers (Raban Schalm, Nick Stuifbergen and Pim Walsma) saved the win for starting pitcher Kenny Berkenbosch: four hits, one walk and two strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
Tomorrow at 14:00 game three: Corendon Kinheim – Konica Minolta Pioniers in Pim Mulier Stadium, Haarlem. Same time game three in Familie Stadium, Rotterdam: DOOR Neptunus – L& D Amsterdam.
Thursday September 18:
Corendon Kinheim – Konica Minolta Pioniers 3-9
DOOR Neptunus – L&D Amsterdam Pirates 11-1
Saturday September 20:
Konica Minolta Pioniers – Corendon Kinheim 2-3
L&D Amsterdam Pirates – DOOR Neptunus 5-2
(both series tied 1-1)
Sunday September 21:
14:00 Corendon Kinheim – Konica Minolta Pioniers
14:00 DOOR Neptunus – L&D Amsterdam Pirates
Saturday September 27:
14:00 Konica Minolta Pioniers – Corendon Kinheim
14:00 L&D Amsterdam Pirates – DOOR Neptunus
Sunday September 28:
14:00 Corendon Kinheim – Konica Minolta Pioniers*
14:00 DOOR Neptunus – L&D Amsterdam Pirates*
*if necessary
Pim van Nes
Baseball writer for
www.honkbalsite.com
www.sporttribune.nl
www.baseball.it
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September 26, 2008 | 10:50 am
[...] 1 Konica Minolta Pioniers – Corendon Kinheim 2-3 L&D Amsterdam Pirates – DOOR Neptunus 5-2 Recap Day 2 Corendon Kinheim – Konica Minolta Pioniers 14-11 DOOR Neptunus – L&D Amsterdam Pirates 5-3 [...]