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 then 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 Neptunus vs. Pirates
In the well-visited game in Hoofddorp, Kinheim took an early lead, scoring three runs in the first two at bats off of lefthander Ricardo Hernandez Sanchez.
With one out in the first inning, Hernandez walked Mervin Gario, then gave up a double to Bryan Engelhardt.
A following grounder by Phil Ortez accounted for the first run.
Two runs were added with two outs in the second inning.
With one out, Dudley Leonora singled, but was forced out on a grounder by Jasper Keijzer.
Hereafter, Jochem Koedijk singled into leftfield and advanced on a following error.
That brought Keijzer to third base and he was able to score when the error was made.
Moments later, Koedijk scored the next run on a single by Kevin Moesquit.
The 3-0 lead appeared to be somewhat comfortable, but that changed quickly.
In the bottom of the third inning, Pioniers scored twice, narrowed the deficit to 3-2 and the suspense was back in the game.
With Tom Stuifbergen out of the rotation due to a back-injury he sustained last Friday, Kinheim had to reshuffle its starting rotation.
David Bergman moved from Saturday to Friday, while today's announced starter Glenn Wassink started yesterday.
And so, lefthander Nick Veltkamp was moved back into the rotation and took the mound today.
He gave up a lead-off single to Daniel Fernandes in the first inning, but three outs followed.
Veltkamp retired the side in the second inning, then gave up two runs in the third at bat.
With one out, Daryl Williams and Daniel Fernandes reached on infield-hits, but the latter was forced out on a grounder by Dirk van 't Klooster.
Next, Danny Rombley doubled into leftfield, which scored Williams.
Van 't Klooster moved to third base, but also was able to score when an outfield-error followed.
Kinheim got one run back in the top of the fifth inning.
With one out, Mervin Gario doubled down the leftfield-line, then another outfield-error followed that brought him to third base.
Moments later, Gario scored on a single by Bryan Engelhardt.
Hereafter, the inning ended when Phil Ortez lined into a double play.
In the bottom of the fifth, with one out, pinch-hitter Mark-Jan Moorman walked for Pioniers.
Hereafter, Daniel Fernandes flied out and Dirk van 't Klooster fouled out.
That last out was to become a memorable one, as it appeared that it was the last at bat in the long and impressive career of Van 't Klooster.
When the top of the sixth inning began, the righfielder stayed behind in the dug-out, while no additional announcements were made.
But when the game had ended and Pioniers had congratulated Kinheim with the victory, something suddenly became very clear.
During a team-meeting in front of the dug-out, Van 't Klooster was hoisted to the shoulders of some players.
Moments later, the 39-year old veteran started hugging his teammates.
After everyone had left the field, the confirmation came that Van 't Klooster had informed his teammates that today was the last game in his illustrious career, which he ended after 23 seasons in the Dutch big league.
In that span, Van 't Klooster set several records and became the All-Time Leader in Basehits and Games Played.
In the bottom of the sixth, trailing 4-2, Pioniers left the bases loaded.
With one out, Vince Rooi singled, which led to a pitching change, as Scott Ronnenbergh took over.
After a flyout, the lefthander got the bases loaded when Kevin Dirksen singled and Djewi Appelman walked.
However, a force out ended the inning.
In the next inning, Pioniers was successful and not only came alongside, it even took over the lead.
Mark-Jan Moorman and Daniel Fernandes opened with back-to-back doubles to bring in a run and a new pitcher.
Pim Walsma took over, but he was greeted when his first delivery ended in the third consecutive double, this time hit by rookie Milan Lammerts, who had entered the game in the previous inning as replacement for Van 't Klooster.
With this double, Pioniers came alongside.
After a foul-out, Vince Rooi walked, then Quintin De Cuba connected for a runscoring single that gave Pioniers a 5-4 lead.
And with that, Kinheim was facing elimination, as it had to win today to reach the final.
With two outs, Pioniers got the bases loaded when Djewi Appelman singled, but three runners were left behind when a foul-out ended the inning.
Kinheim immediately came alongside in the top of the eighth inning off of Reggie Bomberg, who had come on in relief in the sixth inning.
With one out, Dashenko Ricardo tripled and scored on a following single by Jeffrey Arends.
Dennis Buring then took over the pitching and got two flyouts, but the score was in balance again.
In the bottom of the eighth, Pioniers got an opportunity to re-take the lead.
Mark-Jan Moorman led off with a walk, then moved on a wild pitch with two outs.
Hereafter, Danny Rombley singled into centerfield.
Instead of keeping Moorman at third base, he was waved home and was eliminated at the plate on a throw from centerfielder Jochem Koedijk.
With the score tied at 5-5, the ninth inning began with elimination still looming for Kinheim.
The Haarlem-squad turned the game its way again moments later.
Jochem Koedijk led off with an infield-hit, then advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Kevin Moesquit.
Next batter Mervin Gario was hit by a pitch, then the bases got loaded when Bryan Engelhardt singled.
Kinheim re-took the lead thanks to a sacrifice fly by Phil Ortez, who also had batted in the first run in the first inning.
This time, his RBI was very precious, as it would lead Kinheim to the Holland Series!
Now leading 6-5, closer Arshwin Asjes took over the Kinheim-pitching in the bottom of the ninth.
He retired the side to seal the win.
Kinheim became the first team to reach the 2015 Holland Series!
The team now had to wait for the result from Rotterdam to learn whom they would meet in the final.
21 minutes later, that game ended with Neptunus beating and elimination Amsterdam Pirates to set up a surprise championship series.
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