(Story & Photo by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Softball-championship to be decided this weekend
Nederlands
 AMSTERDAM (Neth.) -
The 2015 softball-season in the Golden League and Silver League ends coming weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday, 10 games are scheduled (two of which if needed) that will decide the national championship and the promotion/relegation in three different leagues.
All games will be played at the site of Hoofddorp Pioniers in Hoofddorp.
This is all part of a new format to conclude the softball-season.
The national championship will be decided in the Golden League Holland Series Weekend, which include four best-of-one series.
In the new set-up, Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem, the winner of the regular season in the Golden League, automatically qualified for the Holland Series Weekend.
FysioExpert Olympia Haarlem, Terrasvogels and Tex Town Tigers completed the top-4 in the Golden League when the season ended two weeks ago and with that also qualified for the Play-Offs.
Last weekend, these three teams had to play an additional round in the Play-Off Weekend at the site of Almere '90 in Almere.
Based on the ranking in this round, which ended up in the same order as in the regular season, the games could be filled in for the upcoming Holland Series Weekend.
Coverage Play-Off Weekend
During the Holland Series Weekend, the three regular Play-Off rounds will be played to be followed by the Holland Series.
As opposed to previous seasons, all these rounds, including the decisive Holland Series, will be decided by playing only one game.
In the past, the Play-Offs were best-of-three series and the Holland Series a best-of-five.
On Saturday, starting at 12 PM, Sparks Haarlem meets Olympia Haarlem in the first Play-Off with the winner of that game advancing to the Holland Series.
In the afternoon, starting at 2 PM, Terrasvogels meets Tex Town Tigers in the second Play-Off.
The winner of that game meets the losing team of the first game in the backdoor-game on Sunday, while the loser is eliminated.
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
On Sunday, starting at 12 PM, the third Play-Off round, or backdoor or semi-final, will be played with the winner becoming the second finalist for the Holland Series.
The final game, which will decide the championship, then will begin around 2 PM.
Originally, the starting time was listed at 4 PM.
However, the game has moved to 2 PM, due to possible coverage of national television.
Alcmaria Victrix, which finished in last place in the Golden League, meets Silver League-champion Twins in the conclusion of their Promotion/Relegation Play-Off, which is a best-of-five.
Last weekend, the two teams traveled to Rosmalen, where Twins won the first two games at the site of Gryphons.
On Saturday, the teams faced each other in Game 3 in Hoofddorp, starting at 1 PM.
When a fourth game is needed that will follow around 3 PM.
When a fifth game is needed that will be played on Sunday, starting at 4 PM.
The winner of this series will play in the Golden League next year, the loser in the Silver League.
Recaps first two games
A four-team pool will decide which two of these teams will play in the Silver League next season.
Ban-Topa Future Stars and Almere '90 finished in the last two spots of the Relegation Pool of the Silver League.
They will meet Hoofddorp Pioniers and Birds, who respectively finished in first and second place in the First Division.
These teams also played their first round last Saturday in Rosmalen.
Next Sunday, starting at 11 AM, they will conclude their series in Hoofddorp.
The two Silver League-teams currently lead in this pool.
Final Standings Play-Off Weekend (Ranking Round) Golden League
Standings Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Golden League/Silver League
Standings Promotion/Relegation Series Silver League/First Division
Schedule
(September 25)
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