Before tonights game, RCH had expanded its roster with Czech players Petr Baroch and Jan Drabek, who made their debut in the Dutch big league. Baroch, who already played for RCH last season in the First Division, returned as short stop, while Drabek started the game at first base, but moved to third in the seventh inning. Last Saturday's short stop Kevin Gerard tonight was the DH, while then first baseman Jim Leijenaar entered the game in the seventh and replaced Drabek at first. It was Drabek, who accounted for RCH's lone basehit when he singled in his first big league at bat in the third inning.

Jurjen van Zijl, who made his first start in a Neptunus-uniform, retired the first six batters of the game, before Jan Drabek led off the third with his single through short and third. Van Zijl then hit next batter Kevin Gerard, but hereafter a flyout, force play and another fly followed. In the fifth inning, Floris Morang reached base as the lead-off hitter on an error and then Jan Drabek walked, but this time a double play and flyout ended a possible scoring opportunity for RCH.

In the sixth at bat, off reliever Martijn Nijhoff, RCH scored its lone run, but at that time Neptunus already was leading 7-0. Nijhoff had problems finding the strikezone on the first three batters he faced, as he walked lead-off hitter Nick Heij, then hit next battters Jeroen Bakker and Petr Baroch to load the bases. But this scoring opportunity also vanished, as powerhitters Danny Mujica (foulout) and Churandy La Cruz (strikeout) were retired. RCH then scored its run on a wild pitch, before the bases were loaded again when Floris Morang walked. Nijhoff then ended the inning by striking out Jan Drabek.

In the seventh, RCH reached base three times, including twice on a walk, but again didn't score. In the eighth inning, Kevin Heystek took over the pitching and retired all six batters he faced, which included a great defensive play by short stop Raily Legito in the eighth, who dove to the ball and then threw out speedy Floris Morang at first to end the at bat.

RCH used four pitchers tonight, which coincidentally all threw in the same order last Saturday in the first game against Neptunus. The quartet then followed starter Alexander Plakke. Tonight's starter Thomas Morang lasted only 2/3 inning, but faced nine batters and gave up three hits and four runs. Johnny Balentina led off with a single and stole second, before Benjamin Dille walked. After the two runners moved on a double-steal, they both scored when Raily Legito followed with a 2-run single. He moved on an error on a grounder by Evert-Jan 't Hoen, then scored on a single by Lennart Koster. After the bases were loaded with a walk for Martijn Meeuwis, 't Hoen scored on a sac-fly by Jeffrey Arends. A pop-out followed, before the bases were loaded again when Jeroen Sluijter walked, which marked the end for Morang. He was succeeded by Ewout Bos, who ended the inning when Balentina flied out.

In the second inning, three runs were added. Benjamin Dille led off with a single and scored on an one-out triple by Evert-Jan 't Hoen, who then scored himself on a 2-out infield-hit by Martijn Meeuwis, which was followed by an RBI-double by Jeffrey Arends.
Two runs were added in the sixth inning on a grounder by Lennart Koster and a sac-fly by Jurriaan Korff, who had replaced Martijn Meeuwis in the batting order.

Eight of Neptunus's nine runs were scored by the top-four hitters in the batting order, with three of them being scored by Raily Legito. The quartet also combined on seven of their team 12 basehits, going 7-for-17.
(April 19)

Pioniers started well and held a comfortable 3-0 lead after two innings, but the team would strand seven runners in the next seven innings and added only one more run. And that came while it was trailing 4-3 in the eighth inning. In the first at bat, Michael Duursma led off with a single and advanced on a passed ball and a sac-bunt by Norbert Lokhorst. He then scored on a grounder by his brother Mark Duursma.
In the second inning, Jourick Blanco walked with one out. Last Sunday, Blanco was replaced out of precaution with a hamstring-injury, but tonight was able to play again. With two outs, the Aruban moved to third base when a throwing error was made on a grounder by Jefferson Muzo, who himself advanced to second base. Hereafter, short stop Ramphis Trinidad made an error on a grounder by Michael Duursma, enabling both Blanco and Muzo to score and give Pioniers an early 3-0 lead. Duursma then stole second and moved when a throwing error followed. Norbert Lokhorst was then hit by a pitch by starter Rudy Seebus, but a force out ended the inning.

Sparta/Feyenoord also reached base in the first and second inning, but didn't score. In the first, Pioniers turned a double play, then two runners stranded in the next at bat. In the fourth inning, the home team came back with two runs off starter Roger Kops. With one out, Orson Slaats singled and scored when Rien Vernooy followed with a double. Vernooy moved when an error was made on a grounder by Shurendell Borgschot, then scored on a force play-grounder by Sape Wagenaar. The inning ended when Kops picked off Wagenaar from first base.
In the fifth inning, Sparta/Feyenoord got the bases loaded with two outs, when Kops gave up a single, walked a batter and hit another, but then a flyout followed. Pioniers also had gotten a scoring opportunity in his fifth, but then left a runner on third base.

In the sixth, Jourick Blanco singled with one out for Pioniers and Marcel Venema followed with an infield-hit. After Jefferson Muzo flied out, Erwin Bonis came in to relief Rudy Seebus and ended the inning by catching a pop-fly hit by Michael Duursma. In the next inning, Pioniers again stranded two runners.

In the home of the seventh, things went wrong for Pioniers and worked out well for Sparta/Feyenoord. With one out, Ramphis Trinidad singled and starter Roger Kops was relieved by Ramon Romijn. However, the rookie did not have his right stuff. His first delivery was a wild pitch on which Trinidad moved from first to third base. Trinidad then scored the tying run when another wild pitch followed. Romijn then walked Nick Eppinga and Dwayne Kemp and was relieved by veteran Marc Steenhof. He got a possible double play-grounder out of Jeffrey Sprott, but third baseman Marcel Venema threw the ball passed second baseman Jourick Blanco for the force out, enabling Eppinga to score the go-ahead run. With runners on second and third, Steenhof struckout Orson Slaats, then loaded the bases by walking Rien Vernooy intentionally. The experienced righthander then ended the inning with a groundout for Shurendell Borgschot. In the last two innings, closer Dave Draijer pitched and retired six batters in order.

Trailing 4-3, Pioniers came alongside in the eighth inning, also on a wild pitch. Jourick Blanco led off with a walk and moved on an one-out grounder and a single by Michael Duursma, then scored on a wild pitch by Erwin Bonis. And that was the last run in this game.
(April 19)