...Jan Collins...
...45 seasons with Neptunus...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Before tonight's game, Neptunus honored its longtime coach Jan Collins, who is retiring after the season.
The 74-year old Collins has been active for Neptunus for 45 consecutive years, celebrating many successes with the Rotterdam-team.
Collins is the lone Neptunus-member who has celebrated all 19 Championship-titles with the team.
And he is also the lone Neptunian to have participated in all 28 Holland Series-appearances since 1987.
The former catcher first played for Neptunus in 1978 when the team played in the First Division.
In that year, Neptunus won the title and promoted to the big league.
Collins then played in six big league-seasons.
After Neptunus relegated in 1984, he stayed with the team in the First Division the next season when it promoted again.
Collins played in three more seasons in the highest league before retiring after the 1988 season.
Since 1989, Jan Collins has been a member of the coaching-staff of Neptunus.
While being a coach in 1990, he played in his final two games.
Since 1989, Collins has served in different coaching roles.
In his 34 years as coach, Collins has been Assistant Coach, Catching Coach and Pitching Coach.
In nine seasons, Collins has been the Head Coach.
In four of these seasons, he shared those duties with Paul van den Oever and Ben Thijssen, who then formed a 3-man coaching-staff with equal roles.
But in most of his seasons, Jan Collins has been the Bench Coach.
With his baseball-knowledge, he supported and assisted nine different Head Coaches, being Huub Kohl, Charles Urbanus, Bill Froberg, Robert Eenhoorn, Eric de Bruin, Steve Janssen, Evert-Jan 't Hoen, Ronald Jaarsma and Raily Legito.
Besides being a coach, Jan Collins also served many seasons as one of the groundkeepers.
After being honored, Collins was the catcher when Paul van den Oever threw the ceremonial first pitch.
Neptunus-starter Juan Carlos Sulbaran retired the side in the top of the first inning, then was supported with two runs moments later.
With one out in the bottom of the first inning, HCAW-starter Lars Huijer gave up three consecutive basehits.
First, Jiandido Tromp and John Polonius singled.
When next batter Roger Bernadina also singled, Tromp scored the first run, while Polonius advanced to third base, where he avoiding the tag of third baseman Max Draijer on the throw from rightfield.
The latter then went on to score the second run on a sacrifice fly by Junior Martina.
...Winning pitcher Lars Huijer...
(© Photo: Robert Bos) |
After stranding a runner on second base in the second inning, HCAW came alongside in the top of the third, scoring two unearned runs.
With one out, Julian Goins reached first base when third baseman Stijn van der Meer made a throwing error on his grounder.
As the ball left the field, Goins was awarded second base on the overthrow.
Shortly thereafter, Goins moved to third base on a wild pitch and Brendly Martina walked.
Next batter Victor Draijer flied out and that could have been the third.
But as there was only one out, Draijer's hit became a sacrifice fly as Goins scored from third base.
Hereafter, Jeandro Tromp delivered a single and that enabled the speedy Martina (who had stolen second base) to score the tying run.
In the top of the fourth inning, HCAW rallied for three runs with two outs when Juan Carlos Sulbaran ran into problems.
The righthander first walked lead-off hitter Quintin de Cuba.
With one out, Sulbaran also walked Max Draijer.
The second out was then recorded when De Cuba was eliminated at third base trying to advance on a wild pitch, but Sulbaran then also walked Bob van der Meer.
With runners on first and second base and two outs, Julian Goins (one-run) and Brendly Martina (two-run) connected for back-to-back RBI-doubles.
That gave HCAW a 5-2 lead and ended the evening for Sulbaran.
Aaron de Groot took over and got an inning-ending flyout.
After having given up the two runs in the first at bat, Lars Huijer threw three scoreless innings.
Neptunus got a runner in scoring position in the second inning when Sheadion Jamanika doubled with two outs, but he stranded on second base.
The home-team got into scoring position again in the third at bat.
Lead-off hitter Jiandido Tromp walked and John Polonius was hit by a pitch.
An attempt to move the runners failed, as Roger Bernadina's bunt ended in Tromp being forced out at third base.
Neptunus then did get runners on second and third base on a following grounder by Junior Martina.
Hereafter, Dwayne Kemp hit a line drive, but that was caught by short stop Bob van der Meer, which ended the at bat.
In the fourth inning, Neptunus left another runner behind on third base.
Christian Diaz led off with a walk, moved on a flyout by Dashenko Ricardo and reached third base on an infield-hit by Sheadion Jamanika.
But with one out and runners at the corners, Jamanika was caught stealing and Huijer ended the inning by striking out Stijn van der Meer.
After having taken the 5-2 lead in the fourth inning, HCAW was kept scoreless in the remainder of the game by Aaron de Groot.
But the lead proved to be enough.
In the top of the fifth, it was HCAW that left another runner behind in scoring position.
With one out, Kevin Dirksen doubled and with two outs, Jules Cremer was hit by a pitch.
This time, it was Aaron de Groot who closed with a strikeout for Max Draijer.
...Brendly Martina...
...2-run double...
(© Photo: Robert Bos) |
Neptunus got one run back in the bottom of the fifth.
With two outs, Roger Bernadina doubled and scored on a following single by Junior Martina.
On the throw to the plate, Martina advanced, but he stranded on second base.
HCAW got into scoring position again in the top of the seventh.
With two outs, Kevin Dirksen singled and Quintin de Cuba walked.
A brief delay then followed, as the connection of first base with the field broke when De Cuba had reached it.
A new base was put in and the game continued.
The runners were left behind, as next batter Jules Cremer struckout.
HCAW was then retired in order in the next two at bats.
Neptunus was retired in order in the sixth and seventh inning, but then added a run and got a chance to come alongside.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Roger Bernadina and Junior Martina both singled.
A sacrifice bunt by Dwayne Kemp then led to a lot of action and a run.
First baseman Quintin de Cuba made an error on the bunt, which enabled the two runners to advance an additional base.
And so, Bernadina scored and Martina ended up on third base.
Kemp tried to advance to second base, but was eliminated there.
With one out, Martina was unable to score on a following grounder towards third base by Christian Diaz.
The at bat ended when Dashenko Ricardo fly was caught in foul territory.
But Neptunus had narrowed the deficit to 5-4.
In the bottom of the ninth, HCAW hold onto the minimal lead.
Canadian righthander Jared Mortensen took over the pitching for the Bussum-team.
This season, Mortensen played in the German 1.Bundesliga for reigning champion Heidenheim Heideköpfe.
But his team was dethroned in the Play-Offs.
As the season in Germany ended last weekend, Mortensen was added to the Holland Series-roster of HCAW.
As was infielder Phildrick Llewellyn, who played in Germany for Paderborn Untouchables, which lost the Championship Series against Bonn Capitals.
To make them eligible to play in the Dutch postseason, both Llewellyn and Mortesen played in one game for HCAW in the regular season in June.
Mortensen began with a strikeout, then gave up a single to Stijn van der Meer.
He moved into scoring postion on a grounder by Jiandido Tromp.
But Van der Meer stranded on second base, as the inning and the game ended when John Polonius flied out to rightfielder Victor Draijer.
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HCAW strikes in 4th inning to win Holland Series-opener vs. Neptunus
ROTTERDAM (Neth.) -
HCAW opened the 37th Holland Series on Thursday-evening (September 8) with a 5-4 victory against Curaçao Neptunus.
The team broke a 2-2 tie with a 3-run rally in the fourth inning.
In the Holland Series-opener, Neptunus outhit HCAW 10-7, but left seven runners behind in scoring position.
Before the start of the game, Neptunus honored longtime coach and former player Jan Collins, who is retiring after the season.