The first day of playoffs at Honkbal Week Haarlem began with a win-or-go-home game for hot-hitting Curaçao and a Taiwanese side that clinched the No. 3 spot from round robin play with a big defeat of Italy. A big inning for the Asian nations was enough in an otherwise close game, setting up a thrilling nightcap. With a direct berth to the Baseball Week final up for grabs, archrivals Netherlands and Italy squared off.
Curaçao 2 – Taiwan 5
Both teams sent the same pitcher up the mound as in their head-to-head game in the group stage. That meant that Nelmerson Angela started for Curaçao, while Li-Meng Hung was the starting pitcher for Taiwan. In their previous confrontation, both pitchers had not given up a earned run in six innings, though Min-Sih Chen took Angela yard after an error.
In the fourth, Christian Díaz scored the first run on a sacrifice fly by Sherten Apostel to give the Antilleans a lead. Taiwan nearly equalized in the bottom half of the frame after a double from Chen-Yu Yang, but a heads-up play by Ryson Polonius on the next batter resulted in a quick out, with a rundown resulting in the third out of the inning. An inning later, more quick thinking on a Taiwanese bunt—having learned a lesson from an extra-inning, round-robin loss—led to an out at the plate, but Chih-Yu Chen and Li-I Wei delivered back-to-back RBI-singles. A hit batter set up Yang again and, once more, the centerfielder delivered, emptying the bases with another two-bagger.
Despite the 5-1 deficit, the hot-hitting Curaçao nine was far from out of it. In the seventh, Phildrick Llewellyn and Riordan Windster singled with one out, while Jeandro Trump was plunked to load the bases. Up stepped grand slam king Ericson Leonora with a chance to draw the game even, and the leftfielder promptly lined a pitch to left field, scoring Llewellyn. Windster, however, attempted home as well, and Chen threw him out at the plate for out number three.
That was all for either side, with Finn Kragt tossing three shutout frames for Curaçao, and the Taiwanese bullpen collectively slamming the door.
Netherlands 0 – Italy 1
The Dutch started brightly before a supportive crowd at Pim Mulier Stadium, as Delano Selassa led off with a double against former Cubs’ prospect Matteo Bocchi. Honkbal Week home-run king Shervyen Newton was then asked to bunt Selassa to third, but Italy’s ace struck out veterans Dwayne Kemp and Sharlon Schoop to end the threat.
The bottom half of the first started well for Lars Huijer, but with two out, Miguel Fabrizio bounced a single through the left side, moving to second on a walk to Alberto Mineo. Jhorjan Guevára then hit a slow roller to second, beating it out, but an errant throw to first allowed Fabrizio to scamper home.
From this point on, Bocchi and Huijer settled in, and neither side had a runner in scoring position until the scorching-hot Marnix Ruben and Dwayne Kemp both singled in the sixth. The Orange could not capitalise, as Bocchi ended his superb performance with another K of ex-big leaguer Schoop. In the bottom of the seventh, Huijer exited after a walk to Robel García. Fabrizio then beat out a dribbler, advancing to second on an error. Beforehand, however, García was thrown out stealing, and a flyout to center prevented Italy from adding an extra run in a very tight game.
However, as has happened consistently all Honkbal Week, Azzurri manager Francisco Cervelli successfully released his three-headed bullpen monster of Marco Artitzu, Claudio Scotti, and Alex Bassani, who fired three more shutout frames to preserve the clean sheet. The Orange-and-Black made things interesting for Bassani in the ninth, with Kemp drawing a walk and Darryl Collins lashing a ball through the right side, but Italy’s closer got the final batter with a swinging strikeout and the nail-biter came to a close.
Bocchi earned the win by scattering three hits and two free passes over six innings, whiffing five. Neither he nor the three relievers have allowed a single run in multiple trips to the mound in this edition of Honkbal Week Haarlem. Huijer was the hard-luck loser after surrendering one run on four hits and three walks in 6.1 innings, also sending down five on strikes. With the victory, Italy advanced to the final, while the Netherlands honkbalsters will have to contend with a surging Taiwan.
Our coverage of Honkbal Week Haarlem includes: Introduction [link], Day 1 [link], Day 2 [link], Day 3 [link], Day 4 [link], Day 5 [link], Day 6 [link]. The wrap for Day 7 in Dutch, is here [link]. Box scores are available here [link].
Results
June 26
Globetrotters 1 – Netherlands 6
June 27
Curaçao 2 – Taiwan 3 (10)
Czech Republic 3 – Globetrotters 4
Netherlands 0 – Italy 2 (8)
June 28
Italy 3 – Globetrotters 1
Netherlands 15 – Taiwan 4
Curaçao 12 – Czech Republic 2
June 29
Czech Republic 1 – Taiwan 0
Italy 11 – Curaçao 3
June 30
Czech Republic 1 – Italy 3
Taiwan 10 – Globetrotters 0 (7)
Netherlands 6 – Curaçao 4
July 1
Taiwan 6 – Italy 4
Globetrotters 2 – Curaçao 12 (7)
Netherlands 7 – Czech Republic 4
July 2
Playoffs (4 vs. 3): Curaçao 2 – Taiwan 5
Playoffs (2 vs. 1): Netherlands 0 – Italy 1
July 3
Fifth: Czech Republic – Globetrotters
Semi-Final: Taiwan – Netherlands
Standings
| Team | W-L | RF | RA |
| Italy | 5-1 | 24 | 11 |
| Netherlands | 4-2 | 34 | 16 |
| Taiwan | 4-2 | 28 | 24 |
| Curaçao | 2-4 | 35 | 29 |
| International Globetrotters | 1-4 | 8 | 34 |
| Czech Republic | 1-4 | 11 | 26 |