The Konica Minolta Pioniers ousted Neptunus from the playoffs sweeping the Dutch power and advancing to the Holland Series. Amsterdam avoided elimination on Sunday with a 11-6 win over Kinheim and trail the best-of-five series 2-1.
The Pioniers stunned Neptunus and their ace pitcher Leon Boyd with a last-minute 3-1 win to open the series last Thursday night. Boyd pitched eight strong inning allowing just a single run on seven hits. But Roger Kops was better on this night tossing a two-hit shutout over seven innings to pick up the victory.
De Flanegin’s RBI single in the eight broke a scoreless tie and gave Konica Minolta a slim 1-0 lead. Nelson Santander took over for Kops in the bottom of the inning and retired the side in order.
Neptunus replaced Boyd with Gregory Gustina to start the ninth and he promptly surrendered two runs on four hits in less than an inning of work to make the score 3-0. Railey Legito, who tallied three free passes in the contest – scored the final run of the game to deny the Pioniers shutout bid.
Konica Minolta struck early in Game 2 capitalizing on two Neptunus miscues and an RBI double by Mark Duursma to grab a 3-0 lead heading into the second. It would be more than enough for Richard Orman who combined with closer Dave Draijer for a five-hit shutout and 2-0 series lead.
Orman retired the first eight batters he faced and was making key pitches at all the right times. He escaped a game-turning jam in the sixth when both Legito and Evert-Jan’t Hoen flied out with two runners in scoring position.
Neptunus starter Diegomar Markwell also pitched well allowing only four hits in 7.1 innings. But the Pioniers continued their masterful pitching in key situations limiting Legito & Co. to a lone run in two games.
Konica Minolta drew first blood again in Game 3 when Glenn Romney two-out double in the third scored Michael Duursma for a 1-0 lead. Legito connected for a two-out double later in the inning but Evert-Jan’t Hoen grounded out to end the threat.
Neptunus tied the game at 1-1 in the sixth and brought their ace pitcher Leon Boyd back on two days rest to work the seventh. But the Pioniers were up to the challenge.
An error by Legito led to a run for Konica Minolta which had a chance to blow the game wide open. But Boyd got Jourick Blanco to hit into an inning-ending double play to keep Neptunus close at 2-1.
Neptunus scored twice in the seventh – their first taste of the lead in the series – and should have done more damage off Pioniers’ closer Dave Draijer. But the gutsy reliever got Jurriaan Korff to ground into a key double-play with two men on to kill the rally.
Boyd sat down Konica Minolta in order to start the eight and Neptunus seemed to be gaining momentum towards their first win of the series. But Draijer erased Jeroen Sluijter on a liner to Lorkhorst at second and both Johnny Balentina and Benjamin Dille grounded out to third baseman Marcel Venema to end the inning.
The Pioniers were down to their final out with Romney at the plate and trailing 3-2. But the centerfielder delivered with a single and Konica Minolta was still alive. Things went from bad to worst for Boyd who plunked Flanegin and Mark Duursma to load the bases for Blanco.
Boyd won the seventh-inning encounter getting Blanco to hit into a rally-killing double-play. But not tihis time. The Pioniers designated hitter drilled a two-run single to give Konica Minolta a 4-3 lead.
Draijer retired Legito on a flyball to right to start the ninth before Hoen and Lennart Koster hit back-to-back singles. But there would be no more comebacks or heroics for Neptunus. The Pioniers closer struck out Martijn Meeuwis and got Jeffrey Arends to flyout to centerfield to complete the unlikely sweep.
