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(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Fred Versluis)
 Sparks Haarlem nips Terrasvogels to win Championship-title
Nederlands
...Sparks Haarlem celebrates the Championship-title...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
 HAARLEM (Neth.) -
Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem won only 1-0 and needed eight innings to win the best-of-one Holland Series against Terrasvogels on Saturday (October 8).
With the win, Sparks Haarlem successfully defended its Championship-title and again is the softball-champion of the Netherlands.
For Sparks Haarlem, it was not only its third consecutive Dutch Championship-title, the team also became the 65th champion in Dutch softball-history.
Before the start of the Final, both teams already were secured of a spot in next years European Premiere Cup-tournament.
As Sparks Haarlem won the Cup this year, Terrasvogels qualified for the tournament by reaching the Holland Series.
This could have been different when FysioExpert Olympia Haarlem should have reached the Holland Series.
Olympia Haarlem this year won the European Cup Winners Cup and could have qualified for the Premiere Cup when it had won the Championship-title.
Now, Olympia will defend the Cup Winners Cup next season and will be joined by DSS, which qualified for the event by finishing in fourth place.
Both DSS and Olympia Haarlem were eliminated for the Holland Series by Terrasvogels.
The Holland Series-game initially was scheduled for last Sunday (October 2) as the third and final game to be played on Day 2 of the 'Season Finals Weekend', which was then hosted at the site of Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem in Haarlem.
After the first game of that day was played, the match-up between Roef! and UVV in the Golden League/Silver League Promotion/Relegationa Final went underway, but was interrupted by rain in the top of the third inning, then halted definitively.
Later, the Holland Series-game was cancelled due to the weather conditions.
Both the Promotion/Relegation Final and the Holland Series were re-scheduled for today, both again at the site of Sparks Haarlem.
Today, the weather cooperated fine.
Roef! shutout UVV 7-0 today in the Promotion/Relegation Final to promote to next years Golden League.
 Recap Promotion/Relegation Final Roef! vs. UVV
Rebecca Soumeru, who went the distance for Sparks Haarlem, struckout ten batters and gave up only three basehits, was named Most Valuable Player of the Holland Series.
Last year, when the Holland Series was a best-of-one for the first time, Soumeru also threw a complete game when Sparks Haarlem wo 3-1, after trailing 1-0, against FysioExpert Olympia Haarlem.
Just as last year, today's title didn't come easy, as an extra-inning was needed this time to win the game.
Afterwards, preceeding the award ceremony, there were flowers for three players who had announced their retirement after completion of the season.
They are pitcher Kirsten Scheele, utility player Kiki Draaijer (both Sparks Haarlem) and pitcher Malou van Dusschoten (Terrasvogels).
It was the 15th time that a Holland Series-game ended with an 1-0 score.
However, it was the first time in Holland Series-history (which began in 1982) that a championship-series ended with an 1-0 score.
Today was only the ninth extra-inning game in the Holland Series-history.
And it was only the second time that a championship-deciding game had to be decided in extra innings.
The first (and only other) time was in 2008 when Tex Town Tigers won 4-3 in eight innings against Sparks Haarlem.
(October 8)
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| Most Championship-titles, Clubs |
| Titles | Club |
| 15 | Terrasvogels |
| 12 | HHC |
| 11 | Sparks Haarlem |
| 9 | HCAW |
| 7 | DSS |
| 3 | Kinheim |
| 2 | Tex Town Tigers |
For Sparks Haarlem, the title was the 23rd in club-history, but the eleventh since the team became known as Sparks after a merger in 1991.
After a new merger, it became Sparks Haarlem in 2002.
The predecessor of Sparks Haarlem, HHC, had captured 12 championship-titles under that name.
After HHC had won the first-ever Dutch championship in 1952, Sparks Haarlem today became the 65th softball-champion of the Netherlands.
The most titles have been won by Terrasvogels (15), but when HHC (12) and Sparks Haarlem (11) are combined, it leads with 23.
Terrasvogels and Sparks Haarlem are the only two clubs in history with 10 or more championships.
It was the 34th time that the title was won by a Haarlem-based club.
When nearby Santpoort, Bloemendaal and Heemstede are included, this was the 51st championship-title won by a team from the Haarlem-area.
With its 34th title, Haarlem remains the most successful softball-city and is now one title ahead of Amsterdam, which is the most successful baseball-city with 33 titles.
| Most Championship-titles, Cities |
| Titles | City |
| 34 | | Haarlem |
| 15 |  | Santpoort |
| 9 |  | Bussum |
| 2 |  | Enschede |
| 1 |  | Alkmaar |
| 1 |  | Bloemendaal |
| 1 |  | The Hague |
| 1 |  | Heemstede |
| 1 |  | Oosterhout |
When HHC and Sparks Haarlem are combined, this was its 20th appearance in a Holland Series.
For Terrasvogels, this was its 21st participation in a Holland Series.
With 21 appearances in the Holland Series, Terrasvogels is the record-holder.
In total, ten different clubs (or eight when HHC/Sparks Haarlem and DSC '74/Olympia Haarlem are combined) participated in a Holland Series.
Sparks Haarlem Head Coach Peter van Dalen now has won the championship in his first two seasons as Head Coach in softball.
Last year, he became the eighth rookie Head Coach to lead a team to a title via the Holland Series.
Before the introduction of the Holland Series, three other rookie Head Coaches won a championship-title.
This year, Van Dalen becomes the 12th Head Coach to have won two or more Championship-titles.
And he became only the second coach to have won the title in his first two full seasons as Head Coach and the first to do so in 32 years.
He now joins Don Wedman, who guided Terrasvogels to a title in his first two seasons in 1983-1984.
The coach with the most championship-titles overall is Hans Janssen, who led his teams to six titles, three with DSS, three with Terrasvogels.
This was the 31st Holland Series.
In 1982, there was a postseason for the first time.
Before that, the winner of the regular season als won the Championship-title.
In 1982, the page-system was used.
The two Play-Offs and the Backdoor all were best-of-ones, followed by a best-of-three Holland Series, which was won by Terrasvogels.
| Most Championship-titles, Head Coaches |
| Titles | Head Coach | Club(s) |
| 6 | Hans Janssen | DSS (3), Terrasvogels (3) |
| 4 | Teun van den Berg | Terrasvogels |
| 4 | Ruud Elfers | HCAW |
| 3 | Juni Francisca | Sparks Haarlem |
| 3 | Johan Kluijskens | Sparks Haarlem |
| 3 | Craig Montvidas | HCAW (2), Twins (1) |
| 3 | Rob Walgien | Terrasvogels (2), DSC '74 (1) |
| 2 | Peter van Dalen | Sparks Haarlem |
| 2 | Ton Hendriks | Sparks Haarlem |
| 2 | Paula van der Mark | HHC |
| 2 | Don Wedman | Terrasvogels |
| 2 | Toon Verzijlberg | DSS |
A year later, the page-system was used again.
The best-of-one was no success, so to create more suspense, no best-of-ones were played anymore.
Instead, the Play-Offs, Backdoor and Holland Series all became a best-of-three series, as was the case in 1984.
For 1985, it was decided that the season-winner again became the champion.
This also was to be the rule for 1986, but then Terrasvogels and Bloemendaal ended in a tie.
It was opted that these teams were to play a best-of-three to decide the championship and that's what happened, but this is no official Holland Series.
In 1987, the Play-Off/Holland Series-format returned with best-of-three series, as was done in 1988.
There was no postseason in 1989 and in 1990 another new format was introduced.
The season was split in two halves and the winners of these halves met each other in a best-of five Holland Series.
Problem with this format was that when the winner of both halve was the same team that would be the champion and there would have been no Holland Series.
| Most Holland Series-participations |
| HS | Club |
| 21 | Terrasvogels |
| 18 | Sparks Haarlem |
| 9 | HCAW |
| 5 | Twins |
| 3 | Tex Town Tigers |
| 2 | HHC |
| 1 | Alcmaria Victrix, DSC '74,
DSS, Olympia Haarlem |
In 1991-1994, the Play-Offs expanded.
There were best-of-three series after completion of the both the first and second half to create more suspense.
Also, the Holland Series was expanded from a best-of-three to a best-of-five from 1992 on, also to create more competitiveness.
It also gave a team the possibility to come back in a series and turn it its way.
In 1995, the Play-Offs returned to be played only after completion of the regular season, which was not split in two halves anymore.
In the new set-up, the season-winner met the number 4 in the ranking, while the other best-of-three Play-Off was played between the numbers 2 and 3 of the season.
The winners then met in a best-of-five Holland Series.
This format was kept in place through 2000, in 1998 it was even expanded with extra best-of-three Play-Offs with a total of eight teams.
The same format was used from 2001 on, but the Play-Offs then also were expanded to a best-of-five, again to create more suspense.
The format of a best-of-five Play-Offs and Holland Series was used through 2011 and that resulted in several very attactive series.
In 2012, the page-system returned, the Play-Offs again became a best-of-three, but the Holland Series remained a best-of-five.
And that has been the case since then.
For last season, it was decided to create a new format.
In this new set-up, all deciding series in the highest division (three Play-Off series and the Holland Series) were limited to a best-of-one only.
Not everyone was in favor of reducing the most important moment of a season to only one game.
Also, all deciding games were to be played in one weekend on a neutral site.
The Promotion/Relegation Series for the Golden League and Silver League remained a best-of-five last year.
Last year, the winner of the regular season automatically qualified for the Final-weekend, while the other three had to play an additional Play-Off Round to decide the ranking and with that, the match-ups in the Play-Off Series.
This year, all final series, including the Promotion/Relegation Series, were reduced to only a best-of-one.
Also, the unsuccessful additional Play-Off Round was dropped.
Instead, the top-4 of the regular season faced each other once in a Play-Off Series, with the number four being eliminated for the Finals.
Last year, Hoofddorp Pioniers hosted the 'Season Finals Weekend', this year, all game were played at the site of Sparks Haarlem.
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Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem vs. Terrasvogels
Before the game, Sparks Haarlem-player Chantal Versluis was honored.
Gijs Selderijk, Technical Director of the Royal Netherlands Baseball and Softball Association (KNBSB), handed her a framed National Team-shirt with her number 23 as she had become a member of the so-called 'Club of 100'.
That happened this Summer during the World Championship in Canada, where she had played her 100th official international game for the Orange squad.
There, Virginie Anneveld also reached the 100-game mark.
She was honored a week ago when the game initially was scheduled to be played, but then rained out.
Today, Virginie Anneveld was not with the team, as she left last Wednesday for New Zealand, where she play her second season in the upcoming months.
Last year, the honoring of players reaching the 100-game mark in a National Team was started.
Before last years Holland Series, it was Rebecca Soumeru, who received a framed shirt after having reached the milestone earlier in 2015 during the European Softball Championship in Rosmalen (Netherlands).
During that event, Terrasvogels-infielder Britt Vonk also reached the 100-game mark, but she has not received her shirt yet.
Two weeks ago, Terrasvogels won 5-4 in eight innings against Sparks Haarlem in the final game of the Play-Off Round.
With this, the Play-Offs ended in a 3-way tie, resulting in three tiebreaker-games to be played by Sparks Haarlem, Terrasvogels and DSS, as Olympia Haarlem was eliminated.
In the second of these three games, Sparks Haarlem won 7-3 against Terrasvogels and went on to finish in first place to reach the Holland Series.
Terrasvogels became the second finalist by winning 2-1 against DSS a week ago in the Play-Off Final.
The best-of-one Holland Series was an exciting pitching-duel between Rebecca Soumeru (Sparks Haarlem) and Dani Bonnet (Terrasvogels).
The game ended with a disputed call and an error.
Both pitchers gave up only three basehits in the attractive and suspenseful game in which both teams were very up to each other.
Britt Vonk accounted for all three Terrasvogels-basehits.
Maaike Blaauwgeers, Jenny Kinburn and (retiring) Kiki Draaijer registered the basehits for Sparks Haarlem.
Soumeru struckout ten batters and allowed only three runners to get into scoring position.
Bonnet struckout no batters, but enabled her defense to make the outs.
She also allowed three runners to get into scoring position, before giving up the lone run in the eighth inning.
It was Terrasvogels that got into scoring position first, but stranded a runner on third base in the top of the first inning.
Britt Vonk led off the game with a single, then advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Lizzie Clarijs and a grounder by Jessie van Aalst.
But hereafter, Fiana Finau flied out to end the at bat.
...Winning pitcher Rebecca Soumeru...
...went the distance and was named...
...Most Valuable Player...
(© Photo: Fred Versluis) |
It then took until the sixth inning for Terrasvogels to get into scoring position again.
In the second through fifth inning, Rebecca Soumeru retired 12 of the 13 batters she faced, including six of them with a strikeout.
In the third, with two outs, Britt Vonk singled, but hereafter, the veteran righthander retired eight batters in a row.
With one out in the sixth inning, Britt Vonk registered her third basehit in the game and stole second base with two outs, but was left behind for the third time.
Sparks Haarlem was retired in order in the first two innings by Dani Bonnet.
The home team then got its first runner on base and in scoring position in the third at bat.
With one out, Jenny Kinburn singled and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Kiki Draaijer, but then was left behind.
In the fourth, Sparks Haarlem got two baserunners, but the Terrasvogels-defense prevented them from reaching second base.
Maaike Blaauwgeers led off with a single, but was forced out on a grounder by her sister Anne Blaauwgeers.
With two outs, the latter was caught stealing at second base, ending the at bat.
In the fifth, Sparks Haarlem got into scoring position for the second time.
With one out, Karin Tuk walked, then her pinch-runner Desiree Adriaansz advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Cindy van der Zanden, but was left behind.
Sparks Haarlem again left a runner in scoring position in the sixth inning.
Kiki Draaijer, who played in her last game of her career, led off with a single and moved on a sacrifice bunt by Kehli Washington.
Moments later, Draaijer was eliminated in a double play that followed on a flyout.
Both teams were retired in order and as the game was still scoreless, extra innings followed.
In the regular seven innings, only Terrasvogels had reached third base once.
In the top of the eighth inning, Lisa Waasdorp was the tie-break runner for Terrasvogels.
However, the team was unable to move her to third base, as Rebecca Soumeru struckout the next three batters!
The decision then fell in the bottom of the eighth inning.
With Chantal Versluis as tie-break runner, a force play was set up by walking Karin Tuk intentionally.
The force play-grounder indeed came on a bunt by next batter Cindy van der Zanden.
Catcher Jeske Meewisse threw the ball to short stop Lizzie Clarijs, who had taken over third base.
It was reported that she appeared to receive the ball in time to force out the sliding Chantal Versluis, but 3B Umpire Gerrit-Jan van der Hoeven ruled her safe.
Instead of having an out and runners on first and second base, Sparks Haarlem now had the bases loaded with no outs.
Hereafter, another force play-grounder followed, this time by Jenny Kinburn towards second base.
There, 2B Britt Vonk fielded the ball and threw it to catcher Jeske Meewisse to force out Versluis at the plate.
But in this possible 4-2-3 double play-situation, Meewisse lost control over the ball and Versluis slid in safely to score the only run in the game.
And with that, the game, the Holland Series and the 2016 season ended!
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 |  |
...Chantal Versluis is honored before the game for having played her 100th international game for the Netherlands Team...
...At left, she is addressed by KNBSB-boardmember Softball Petra Arends; Also taking part in the honoring are Netherlands...
...Team Head Coach Juni Francisca and Ruud Verhoef (Competitions Affairs Department, KNBSB Head Office)... |
...The Holland Series-umpiring crew...
...Peter Vonk (1st base), Patrick Reus (Home Plate)...
...and Gerrit-Jan van der Hoeven (3rd base)...
| 
...Netherlands Team Head Coach Juni Francisca threw...
...the ceremonial first pitch before the game...
...Standing in the back are Terrasvogels-players Lizzie Clarijs...
...and Britt Vonk and Public Address Announcer Wouter Hoos... |
...Sparks Haarlem Head Coach Peter van Dalen talks with...
...Chantal Versluis, the tie-break runner in the 8th inning... | 
...Cindy van der Zanden puts down a bunt in the 8th...
...which results in a force play at third base... |
|
...Short stop Lizzie Clarijs catches the ball, while the sliding Chantal Versluis approaches 3rd base in a crucial play...
...Looking on are Sparks Head Coach Peter van Dalen, Terrasvogels 3B Jessica Waasdorp and...
...3B Umpire Gerrit-Jan van der Hoeven, who then makes the safe-call (beneath)... |
 |
|
 |
...With the bases loaded Jenny Kinburn hits a force play-grounder that would decide the game...
...In the top photo, Kinburn runs towards first, while Chantal Versluis runs towards the plate...
...There, catcher Jeske Meewisse awaits the ball, but then has no control of it, while Versluis slides in...
...Home Plate Umpire Patrick Reus rules Versluis safe and that ends the game... |
 |
 |
|
 |  |
| ...The players of Sparks Haarlem celebrate the Championship-title... |
 |  |  |
...Sparks Haarlem-Chairman Sandra Nypels hands flowers to Kirsten Scheele...
...and Kiki Draaijer, who retired...
| ...Malou van Dusschoten also retired...
...she got flowers from her...
..sister (and ex-pitcher) Femke... |
 |  |  |
...Gijs Selderijk (Technical Director KNBSB), Ron Schel (President KNBSB) and Bart Volkerijk (Executive Director KNBSB)...
..handed out the medals to the players, coaches and staff-members...
...From left to right Maaike Blaauwgeers, Leonella Elizabeth and Karin Tuk receive their medal... |
...Kirsten Scheele and Kiki Draaijer both retired...
...after completion of this season...
| 
...Anne Blaauwgeers, Desiree Adriaansz, Leonella Elizabeth...
...and Maaike Blaauwgeers also played together...
...for two seasons at Alcmaria Victrix (2013-2014)...
...They were re-joined again this season... |
...Maaike Blaauwgeers, Chantal Versluis,...
...Kehli Washington and Anne Blaauwgeers... | 
...Chantal Versluis with former players and former...
...teammates Kim Kluijskens and Jolanda Kroesen... |
...MVP Rebecca Soumeru talks with Rob Spierenburg...
...of the Haarlems Dagblad-newspaper... | 
...Kiki Draaijer, Ginger de Weert and Cindy van der Zanden...
...with the Championship-bowl... |
...Desiree Adriaansz & Jenny Kinburn... | 
...Rebecca Soumeru is carried on hands by Jenny Kinburn... |
...Head Coach Peter van Dalen with his...
...daughter Maxime van Dalen...
| 
...The winning staff of Sparks Haarlem...
...Emile Kool (physical therapist), Peter van Dalen (head coach),...
...Erik Vrugt (assistant coach) and Maaike Tuk (dug-out scorer)... |
| (© All Photos: Fred Versluis) |
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| Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem - Terrasvogels 1-0 |
| R | H | E |
| Terrasvogels | 000 | 000 | 00 | - | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem | 000 | 000 | 01 | - | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| (no outs when winning run was scored in the bottom of the eighth inning) |
| pitcher Terrasvogels | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Dani Bonnet, L (0-1) | 7 (*) | - | 2 | 3 | 1 | - |
| (*) - Bonnet pitched to three batters in the eighth inning |
| pitcher Sparks Haarlem | inn. | SO | BB | H | R | ER |
| Rebecca Soumeru, W (1-0) | 8 | 10 | - | 3 | - | - |
Umpires: HP-Patrick Reus, 1B-Peter Vonk,
3B-Gerrit-Jan van der Hoeven.
Official Scorer-Huub Nelissen.
Play-by-Play Scorer-Dennis Duin.
Public Address Announcer-Wouter Hoos.
Starting Time-4:00 PM.
Time-1:30 hr.
Site-Noordersportpark, Haarlem (site Sparks Haarlem).
Game Notes:
 Best-of-One.
Second of two games that were played at the site of Oolders Omaco Sparks Haarlem in Haarlem on Saturday, October 8, which was the make-up day ('Day 3') of the 'Season Finals Weekend'.
Ceremonial first pitch thrown by Juni Francisca, Head Coach of the Netherlands National Softball Team.
Sparks Haarlem wins the Holland Series, 1-0, to win the Dutch Championship-title.
Rebecca Soumeru (Sparks Haarlem) named Most Valuable Player of the Holland Series.
Sparks Haarlem and Terrasvogels both qualify for participation in the European Premiere Cup 2017.
Game initially scheduled for Sunday, October 2, but cancelled due to rain.
Weather conditions at game time: Sunny, 14,3° C (57,7° F); wind direction north-northeast,
wind speed 8 kmh (4,2 mph); wind force 2 Bft; humidity 52%. |
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