| Time-table Who is in the Final |
| Time | Event | Finalists |
| | Neptunus leads, 2-0
Kinheim leads, 4-2 | Neptunus & Kinheim |
| 3:46 PM | Pirates comes alongside, 2-2 | Kinheim & unknown |
| 3:58 PM | Neptunus takes lead, 3-2 | Neptunus & Kinheim |
| 4:09 PM | Pioniers comes alongside, 4-4 | Neptunus & unknown |
| 4:13 PM | Neptunus adds run, 4-2 | Neptunus & unknown |
| 4:16 PM | Pioniers takes lead, 5-4 | Neptunus & Pirates |
| 4:28 PM | Kinheim comes alongside, 5-5 | Neptunus & unknown |
| 4:52 PM | Kinheim re-takes lead, 6-5 | Neptunus & Kinheim |
| 4:59 PM | Kinheim wins, 6-5 | Kinheim & Neptunus |
| 5:20 PM | Neptunus wins, 4-3 | Kinheim & Neptunus |
Initially, it appeared that Kinheim and Neptunus were en route to a victory and with that, qualification for the Holland Series.
However, that changed from the sixth inning on in Rotterdam, when Amsterdam Pirates came alongside.
What followed was a period of 94 tenseful minutes in which the line score changed several times, meaning the two finalist also changed.
In the end, both Kinheim and Neptunus register an one-run victory in very close games to become this years finalist.
And that left Amsterdam Pirates empty-handed, which can be labeled as a major surprise, as the squad had the best cards in hands from the beginning to become the first finalist.
recap Kinheim vs. Pioniers
Belgian righthander Kenny Van Den Branden started for Neptunus and retired the side in both the first and second inning.
He was then supported with two runs (both unearned) in the bottom of the second inning.
Christian Diaz led off with a single off of Amsterdam-starter Kyle Ward, who then made an error.
Benjamin Dille bunted the ball back to Ward, who then made a throwing error towards second base trying to eliminate Diaz.
A following sacrifice bunt by Rien Vernooij moved both runners into scoring position.
The bases got loaded when Shaldimar Daantji walked, but a flyout accounted for the secound out (which could have been the third).
Hereafter, Dwayne Kemp singled through the leftside to bring in two runners and give Neptunus a 2-0 lead.
And so, Amsterdam was facing elimination, as Kinheim was leading in Hoofddorp.
A win there by Pioniers would have result in both Neptunus and Pirates reaching the final.
In the top of the third inning, Amsterdam got one run back, which by the way also was unearned.
Bas Nooij led off with a single, but was forced out on a bunt by Rashid Gerard.
Hereafter, Gerard moved on a grounder by Patrick Bok, then scored when short stop Stijn van der Meer made a throwing error on a grounder by Roelie Henrique.
The damage was limited to one run, as a flyout ended the inning, but Neptunus' lead was narrowed to 2-1.
In the next innings, both teams got more scoring opportunities, but failed to add more runs.
In the bottom of the third, Raily Legito led off for Neptunus with a single, but was caught stealing after a pick-off.
With two outs, Christian Diaz singled, as did Benjamin Dille.
Diaz was waved home all the way from first base, but was eliminated at the plate.
In the top of the fourth inning, Nick Urbanus led off with a single, but he was caught stealing in a double play, as Kenny Berkenbosch struckout.
Hereafter, Remco Draijer walked and Linoy Croes singled, but they were left behind when Bas Nooij flied out.
Amsterdam again left two runners in the fifth inning.
Rashid Gerard reached on an error and with one out, Roelie Henrique doubled.
But with runners on second and third base, Michael Duursma flied out and Nick Urbanus grounded out.
In the bottom of the fifth, Raily Legito singled with two outs, but stranded on first base.
...Neptunus celebrates after completing the sweep...
...and qualifying for the Holland Series...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the top of the sixth inning, Amsterdam came alongside and then the real suspense began in both Rotterdam and Hoofddorp.
Legendary British movie director Alfred Hitchcock, the 'Master of Suspense', would have been really proud, as both games had a Hitchcockian ending.
Kenny Berkenbosch and Remco Draijer led off the sixth with singles, resulting in runners on first and third base, as well as a pitching change.
Berry van Driel took over for Van Den Branden.
He faced Linoy Croes, who grounded to first base.
Whether or not Berkenbosch had to take off from third trying to score will always remain a question.
Fact is, he did and he was eliminated at the plate for the first out in the inning.
With runners now on first and second base, Bas Nooij singled up the middle to bring in Draijer with the tying run.
Hereafter, Rashid Gerard went after the first pitch he saw and grounded into an inning-ending double play.
In the bottom of the sixth, Neptunus immediately broke the 2-2 tie by scoring two runs.
Christian Diaz led off with a ground-rule double down the leftfield-line, then advanced on a fielder's choice-sacrifice bunt by Benjamin Dille, who himself also reached base safely.
The latter was forced out on a grounder by Rien Vernooij, but that also brought Diaz across home plate to give Neptunus a renewed lead.
That led to a pitching change and Dennis Burgersdijk was brought in to take over for Kyle Ward.
He got the bases loaded when he walked Shaldimar Daantji and Urving Kemp, resulting in another pitching change.
Tom de Blok took over and got an infield-fly from Dwayne Kemp, but then gave up a single to Stijn van der Meer, that lifted the lead to 4-2.
Three runners were left behind when Raily Legito grounded out.
In the final three innings, Amsterdam Pirates got a big opportunity to turn the game its way, as it got the bases loaded in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning!
In these situations, only one run was scored.
In total, Amsterdam stranded 14 runners in this game, ten of whom were standing in scoring position.
...Pitcher Dennis Burgersdijk shows...
...his disappointment...
...sitting in the back is Bas Nooij...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the top of the seventh inning, lead-off hitter Patrick Bok struckout, but reached first base on a throwing error by catcher Gianison Boekhoudt.
Koen Nooij then entered the game as pinch-runner for Bok and advanced on a passed ball.
Next, Roelie Henrique walked, with the fourth ball ending in a wild pitch that moved Nooij to third base.
Hereafter, the bases got loaded when Michael Duursma was hit by a pitch.
With the bases loaded and no outs, Pirates had a big chance of doing something back, while Kevin Kelly relieved Berry van Driel.
Next batter Nick Urbanus then went after the first pitch he saw and grounded back to Kelly, resulting in a force out at the plate.
Hereafter, Kenny Berkenbosch grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
And with that, Neptunus escaped unharmed.
After Neptunus was retired in order in the bottom of the seventh, Amsterdam got the bases loaded again in the eighth.
With two outs, Bas Nooij singled, Rashid Gerard walked and pinch-hitter Jesse Aussems also walked.
But Neptunus escaped unharmed again, as Kelly struckout Roelie Henrique to end the inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, Daan Hendrix became the new pitcher for Amsterdam and also retired the side.
In the meantime, the game in Hoofddorp had ended in a 6-5 victory for Kinheim, which therefore became the first finalist.
And with that, it meant that the winner of the game in Rotterdam would become the second finalist.
In the top of the ninth, Amsterdam got the bases loaded for the third consecutive inning.
The team scored once, but the game then ended with a close play.
With one out, Nick Urbanus doubled and scored on a following single by Kenny Berkenbosch, narrowing the deficit to 4-3.
Hereafter, Remco Draijer also singled and the bases got loaded when Linoy Croes walked.
That led to a new pitching change.
Jorian van Acker took over and struckout Bas Nooij.
Hereafter, a few inches decided the outcome of this game.
Rashid Gerard lined the ball through the middle.
When it would have gone through the infield, it would have scored two runners and given Amsterdam a 5-4 lead.
But second baseman Benjamin Dille dove to the ball to field it, then dove back to second base.
When Dille would have been a second late, the runner would have been safe and Pirates would have tied the score at 4-4.
But Dille was just in time to force out Croes at second base.
And that ended the game!
And it underscored that baseball is indeed 'a game of inches'.
For Neptunus, the celebrations began, as it had accomplished an unexpected comeback to sweep Amsterdam and with that qualified for the Holland Series.
For Amsterdam Pirates, it meant that it had lost its fifth opportunity in six games to win and qualify for the Holland Series.
And that was a major blow for the favorite.
Most players stayed behind in the dug-out after the game had ended, astonished by what had happened in the last three days.
It was reported that the last three players left the dug-out around 7 PM, more than 1 1/2 hour after completion of the game.
For Amsterdam, this meant the end of its season.
For Neptunus, it meant that it now will face Kinheim in the best-of-seven Holland Series.
And with that, the Rotterdam-squad gets a chance of extending its championship titel.
And that was something, almost no one had counted on before the series against Amsterdam began.
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Neptunus completes sweep to eliminate Amsterdam Pirates!
ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
On a tenseful Sunday-afternoon (August 30), Corendon Kinheim became the first team to clinch a spot in the all-deciding Holland Series.
After leading 3-0 after three innings, Kinheim trailed 5-4 after seven vs. Vaessen Pioniers, then went on to win 6-5.
A loss would have meant that Kinheim was eliminated and that both Neptunus and Pirates would qualify for the Holland Series.
