Four close games were played in the Dutch Hoofdklasse on Thursday afternoon. Mampaey The Hawks ended their drought to start the 2015 season, picking up their first win of the year with a 3-2 nail-biter over HCAW Bussum. They broke a 1-1 tie with two runs in the top of the seventh and then got lucky in the ninth, when R. Frolijk lined out in a triple play to first (F3, U3, 3-6). Quinn Tramm tossed six-plus solid innings for the win.
In general it was a good day for the “small” clubs of the Hoofdklasse, as UVV stunned Corendon Kinheim with a 4-1 win at Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem. Utrecht took a quick 4-0 lead after four innings and held on to the advantage thanks to pitching and solid defense. Kinheim was not able to take advantage of nine walks and six hits.
In a meeting between first and third in the standings, L&D Amsterdam downed the Vaessen Pioniers 3-2. An error gave the Pirates a tenth-inning walk-off win. Two runs in the bottom of the sixth had helped Amsterdam to erase an early 0-2 deficit. Co-leader Curacao Neptunus Rotterdam edged out DSS 6-3.