Ray-Patrick Didder hit a two-out single to center right field in the bottom of the 10th to give Netherlands a key win in their opening game of the WBSC Premier12 presented by RAXUS against Panama. The Netherlands recovered from a 7-2 deficit to claim a 9-8 win in extra innings. Diddier Ray-Patrick singled in the bottom of the 10th to end the game.
The Premier12 opened in spectacular fashion with an intense and back-and-forth game. Panama scored seven runs off Netherlands starter Shairon Martis, who left the game after 3.1 innings, and took the lead in the game.
«This was a tough game. It was intense, going back and forth,» Netherlands manager Evert Jan ‘t Hoen said. «Shai didn’t have his best stuff, maybe location, he got a couple of hits and it’s really difficult to take him out of the game so early. But the bullpen did a great job.»
Jose Ramos homered in the second inning for Panama, and led the way to strain three consecutive multi-run innings. A run-scoring double by Carlos Quiroz highlighted a two-run third innings; and then in the fourth the Central American team added three more on a bases-loaded walk, a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch.
«We had an advantage that we were unable to keep, but at the end of the day, one team had to lose, another had to win and that’s it,» said Panama manager Jose Mayorga. «We have to move on, think about tomorrow’s game and try to make the necessary adjustments to get the win.»
After the fourth inning, the Netherlands bullpen did a great job, keeping the team in the game. Five pitchers combined for two hits, one run and five strikeouts. And finally the effort paid off. «We used a lot of arms out of the bullpen, we used a lot of pinch runners and defensive replacements and it’s just a great start of the tournament,» said Jan ‘t Hoen.
«It was a team effort really, we did the job together,» Didder said. «We were down 7-2, and we just ket playing and playing until we could tie the game on a wild pitch. And then we could win the game.»
The Netherlands tied the game in the seventh inning on a wild pitch, and one inning later took the lead on a single by Didder. However, Panama’s shortstop Ruben Tejada hit a long homer over the center field wall to tie the game.
In the top of the 10th, Netherlands reliever Juancarlos Sulbaran escaped a bases loaded jam with no outs to keep the game tied at eight. He forced Rodrigo Orozco to a short fly to right field, then struck out Fernando Gonzalez and finally ended the inning forcing a grounder to third base by Joshwan Wright, who was thrown out at first on a very close play.
In the bottom of the 10th, Didder connected a 0-2, 97 MPH pitch by Alberto Baldonado to finish the game.