(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Starting Pitchers & Officials Holland Series
Nederlands
 AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
Last Saturday (September 5), reigning champion Curaçao Neptunus and Amsterdam Pirates opened the 41st edition of the best-of-seven Holland Series in Rotterdam.
On Sunday, Game 2 was played in Amsterdam.
The Holland Series continues with a 3-game series, beginning on Thursday-evening September 10, followed by Game 4 on Saturday and if needed, Game 5 on Sunday.
When needed, Game 6 and 7 are scheduled for September 19-20.
This is the 12th time that Neptunus and Pirates will face each other in a Holland Series, which includes the 2020 Series, which was halted after two games due to the coronavirus-regulations and was not completed.
Of the 10 completed Series between the two teams, both won five.
Neptunus won in 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018, Pirates won in 1987, 1990, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
In the 2020 Series, Pirates led 2-0 when it was halted.
No champion was crowned that year.
In this years Holland Series, Neptunus won the first two games.
But it could also have been the other side around, as Neptunus secured both wins in the ninth inning.
In Game 1, Neptunus led comfortably 6-1, but Pirates then rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth inning to narrow the lead to 6-5.
With the lead in jeopardy and a runner on base, the game ended with a flyout in short centerfield.
In Game 2, Neptunus trailed 2-0 early, then led 5-2 halfway the fifth and 6-4 halfway the eighth.
Moments later, Pirates came back again and tied the score.
In the top of the ninth, Neptunus rallied for four runs to win the second game.
Game 2 almost was the longest 9-inning game in Holland Series-history, as it lasted three hours and 49 minutes.
The record is 3:52, which was the playing-time of Game 2 in 2014 when Neptunus and Pirates also played against each other.
In that Series, Pirates led 3-1, but then Neptunus won the next three games.
In 2019, Neptunus led 3-0, but then Pirates won the next four games to grab the title.
Of the eight best-of-seven Holland Series between Neptunus and Pirates, none of them ended in a sweep.
In four of them, all seven games were needed.
There has been only one sweep in the Neptunus-Pirates Series-history.
In 1990, Pirates won 3-0 in what then was a best-of-five.
Beneath are the announced Starting Pitchers and Game-Officials assignments for the Holland Series.
As always, these pitching (and officials) assignments can change on game-days.
(September 9)
Rosters
Standings, Schedules & Scores
Live play-by-play
| HOLLAND SERIES |
| Roster | CURAÇAO NEPTUNUS (2-0) | vs. |
AMSTERDAM PIRATES (0-2) | Roster | Game-info |
| # | Starting Pitchers Neptunus | G | # | Starting Pitchers Pirates |
| Date, Time & Site |
| 39 | RHP Shairon Martis | 1 | 39 | RHP Lars Huijer | Sa. Sep. 5, 2:00 PM, Rotterdam (1) |
| 88 | RHP Juan Carlos Sulbarán | 2 | 25 | RHP Pim Vijfvinkel | Su. Sep. 6, 2:00 PM, Amsterdam (2) |
| 30 | RHP Koen Postelmans (0-0) | 3 | 3 | RHP Martijn Schoonderwoerd (0-0) | Th. Sep. 10, 7:30 PM, Rotterdam (1) |
| 39 | RHP Shairon Martis (1-0) | 4 | 39 | RHP Lars Huijer (0-1) | Sa. Sep. 12, 2:00 PM, Amsterdam (2) |
| 88 | RHP Juan Carlos Sulbarán (0-0) | 5 (*) | | to be decided | Su. Sep. 13, 1:00 PM, Rotterdam (1) |
| | to be decided | 6 (*) | | to be decided | Sa. Sep. 19, 2:00 PM, Amsterdam (2) |
| | to be decided | 7 (*) | | to be decided | Su. Sep. 20, 1:00 PM, Rotterdam (1) |
| Sites | (1) - Neptunus Familiestadion, Sportpark Abraham van Stolkweg, Rotterdam; (2) - Loek Loevendie Ballpark, Sportpark 'Ookmeer', Amsterdam |
| Officials | Umpires (Roster) | Official Scorers (Roster) |
| Game 1 | HP-Peter de Haan (#52), 1B-Edwin Louisa (#51), 2B-Ric Zwanenberg (#15),
3B-Olav Steijger (#13) - Commissioner-Peter Brink | OS-Stefan Slinger, PBP-Marco Stoovelaar |
| Game 2 | HP-John Beltman (#5), 1B-Olav Steijger (#13), 2B-Richard Wessel (#67),
3B-Roel Mooren (#2) - Commissioner-Peter Brink | OS-Linda Steijger, PBP-Dennis Duin |
| Game 3 | HP-Edwin Louisa (#51), 1B-Paul Timmermans (#68), 2B-Richard Wessel (#67),
3B-Marwin Kleinmoedig (#76) - Commissioner-Peter Brink | OS-Sten Wessel, PBP-Jeanette van Drunen |
| Game 4 | HP-Niek Elshof (#55), 1B-Peter de Haan (#52), 2B-Olav Steijger (#13),
3B-Rob Has (#16) - Commissioner-Peter Brink | OS-Feiko Drost, PBP-Maaike Houtkamp |
| Game 5 (*) | HP-Olav Steijger (#13), 1B-Richard Wessel (#67), 2B-Edwin Louisa (#51),
3B-Niek Elshof (#55) - Commissioner-Peter Brink | OS-Karin Pieneman, PBP-Stefan Slinger |
| Game 6 (*) | HP-Richard Wessel (#67), 1B-Ric Zwanenberg (#15), 2B-Niek Elshof (#55),
3B-Paul Timmermans (#68) - Commissioner-Peter Brink | OS-Marco Stoovelaar, PBP-Sten Wessel |
| Game 7 (*) | HP-Edwin Louisa (#51), 1B-Richard Wessel (#67), 2B-Peter de Haan (#52),
3B-Rob Has (#16) - Commissioner-Peter Brink | OS-Dennis Duin, PBP-Linda Steijger |
| (*) - Game 5, 6 & 7 if needed |
|
