NETHERLANDS – Offense hasn’t been a problem so far for the L&D Amsterdam Pirates. Neither has winning close ballgames.

The reigning Dutch champion claimed their second consecutive extra-inning win in as many days with a 7-4 victory over Sparta/Feyenoord last Sunday at Rotterdam to remain unbeaten in the Dutch Major League.

Amsterdam (5-0) struck early against Sparta/Feyenoord starter Tim Roodenburg with two first-inning scores. Wesley Connor and Maikel Benner opened the game with singles, and moved into scoring position on a well-executed sacrifice bunt. 48-year-old Cuban slugger Fausto Álvarez Rizo was walked intentionally to load the bases, but the defensive ploy backfired when Roodenburg plunked Bas de Jong. Vince Rooi followed with an RBI sacifice fly to make the score 2-0.

The Pirates, which ended the weekend leading the league with an eye-popping .374 team batting average, added two more scores in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Rizo and a throwing error that allowed Sidney de Jong to cross the plate with the fourth run of the game.

Sparta/Feyenoord (0-4) cut the lead to 4-2 with a pair of runs in the fifth off L&D Amsterdam starter Jos de Jong. Imco Rudolph drove in Roderick Simon with a single to foil the shutout, and Mike Bazuin’s RBI sacrifice fly plated Eldrion Regina. The home team pulled even in the eighth when Rutger Veugelers tagged new pitcher Kenny Berkenbosch with a clutch two-run single with two outs to knot the score at 4-4.

Connor led off the 11th with a walk off Sparta/Feyenoord reliever Herman Gaarman, and was promptly advanced to second on another sacrificed bunt. Sidney de Jong received an intentional walk in another strategic decision, but once again the plan backfired as Rizo connected for his second RBI single of the game to give the Pirates a 5-4 cushion. Amsterdam tallied a pair of insurance runs off reliever Roy Beems to finish the scoring.

Amsterdam’s third pitcher, Mark Kan, allowed a two-out double to Rudolph before closing the door on Sparta/Feyenoord and earning his first save since 2007.

NEPTUNUS RALLIES TO EDGE MR. COCKER HCAW
DOOR Neptunus rallied for three seventh-inning runs to wipe out a 3-1 deficit and remain undefeated with a narrow 4-3 victory over Mr. Cocker HCAW last Sunday at Rotterdam. Neptunus won the series opener on Saturday 6-3.

Former minor leaguer Eugene Kingsale ripped a one-out double off HCAW starter Joey Eijpe in the third, moved up one base on a wild pitch, and gave Neptunus (4-0) a 1-0 advantage on an error. But the visitors answered back an inning later on RBI singles by Randy Daal and Sytze Visbeen to taste the lead for the first time.

HCAW (2-2) added an insurance run in the seventh off Jurjen van Zijl when Bart Gabriëls, who was 3-fof-5 with a double, singled home Adrian Anthony to make the score 3-1. However, it would prove to be not enough as the Rotterdam club came charging back in the bottom of the same inning.

Eijpe walked Matt McGraw to open the game-deciding frame and was replaced by reliever Kyle Ward. But the rookie pitcher proceeded to issue free passes to both Jeroen Sluijter and Shaldimar Daantji to load the bases. Kevin Roovers took the mound and quickly found himself in a deeper hole.

First, Benjamin Dille inched Neptunus closer with an RBI sacrifice fly that scored McGraw. Railey Legito followed with a run-scoring double to tie the score at 3-all, and then the flustered right-hander unleashed a wild pitch to allow the eventual game-winning run to cross home plate.

van Zijl (1-0) was credited with his first win despite a shaky inning on the mound that included a run and three hits. Dushan Ruzic worked the final two frames to notch his league-leading third save.

KONICA MINOLTA TROUNCES ADO
The Konica Minolta Pioniers plated four runs in the opening frame and tallied a score in all but three innings to pound ADO 14-2 at The Hague to sweep the weekend series.

The Pioniers (4-0) roughed up ADO starter Jurrian Koks early with a four-run rally to start the game. Michael Duursma, Mark Duursma and Joey Treurniet each tagged the struggling hurler with RBI singles, and Norbert Lokhorst drove in the first of his four RBIs with a triple. Konica Minolta chased Koks in the second with a pair of runs before Tjerk Hogervorst stretched the lead to 7-0 in the fourth with a run-scoring single.

British native Aeden McQueary-Ennis put ADO (0-4) on the board in the bottom of the fourth with an inside-the-park home run. However, the Pioniers piled on three more scores the next two frames to hold a 10-1 advantage. ADO’s Boudewijn van Elswijk followed a sixth-inning triple by shortstop Shurty Tremus with a run-scoring single to make the score 10-2.

American Tyler Levin cooled off the bats of Konica Minolta with two dominant relief innings that included five strikeouts. But the Pioniers tagged McQueary-Ennis with four runs in the ninth to seal the easy win.

Roger Kops (2-0) scattered seven hits and two runs over six innings to remain unbeaten, while Daan de Jong worked the final three frames to earn his first save.

KINHEIM BLANKS MEDIAMONKS RCH
Duko Jansen and two relievers combined on a seven-hit shutout to help Corendon Kinheim claim a 3-0 victory over MediaMonks RCH last Sunday at Haarlem to sweep the weekend series. Kinheim, which had dropped six consecutive league games dating back to last year’s Holland Series, routed RCH 11-0 in the series opener on Saturday.

Kinheim (2-3) touched Australian starter Chris Mowday for a score in the fifth to grab a 1-0 lead. Josh Renick singled home rookie Kevin Weijgertse, who had stroked a one-out single earlier in the inning. Danny Rombley added a two-run hit off reliever Dave Draijer in the seventh to finish the scoring.

Jansen (1-0) picked up the win after limiting the MediaMonks (0-4) to a pair of hits in 5 1/3 scoreless innings. Patrick Beljaards struck out two and gave up thee hits over 2 2/3 frames before giving way to closer Michiel van Kampen – who struggled but still managed to record his first save of the season.

Photo courtesy of Henk Seppen/L&D Amsterdam Pirates

Tags: Netherlands