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, Taiwan took on the Netherlands, with the loser having to settle for third.
Fifth: Czech Republic 6 – Globetrotters 5 (10)
It was messy at times, but the fight for fifth was an exciting and entertaining one. Matouš Bubeník got things going for Baseball Czechia in the second, lacing a double down the left field line. William Escala raced all the way home from first on the hit, scoring after an errant relay throw.
The Czechs manufactured another run in the following frame when a Jan Pospíšil single turned a leadoff walk and stolen base by Marek Krejčiřík into a 2-0 lead. Back-to-back doubles by Harry Deliyannis and Tyler Hill in the bottom of the third halved the advantage, but Czech starter Viktor Beránek got through the fourth without any more damage.
Bubeník struck again in the sixth, launching a rocket over the right center field wall for a two-run homer. Once again, though the Globetrotters answered immediately, with Deliyannis singling, scoring all the way from first on a throwing error on a grounder by Hill. After two quick outs, Alex Madera beat out a slow roller and, in the ensuing action, Hill raced home to make it 4-3.
In the seventh, Jakub Winkler smashed a big fly to right field, but the Globetrotters set to work once more. Tommy van de Sanden started things off with an 0-2 double, heading to third on a flyout to right. Deliyannis then knocked him in with a bouncing ball that went awry, then stealing second. Luke Masiuk then dropped a RBI-single into left, and the comeback was complete.
Neither time could push across a run in the eighth or ninth, so the battle for fifth headed to the tenth. With tiebreaker rules in play, Jan Mulač beat out his bunt to load the bases, and Pospíšil lofted a ball to left that looked to score one, but a strong throw from Masiuk prevented any advancement. A strikeout brought up Escala, who delivered, punching a single through the left side to score Krejčiřík. This time it was French national teamer José Paula with a great throw, nailing the second runner at home.
Ondřej Vostatek came out for his second inning of work for Baseball Czechia and his defense tightened up the hinges, fielding a bunt, a liner, and grounder to third without a problem, and the Central European nation took the rubber match.
Semi-Final: Taiwan 1 – Netherlands 9
It was a tale of two innings in the qualifier for the Honkbal Week final, with the Dutch plating hanging crooked numbers on the scoreboard in the first and fifth. It scored all the runs it needed in the first, with Dwayne Kemp knocking in Marnix Ruben and Delano Selassa with a two-run double. Raphael Smeenk later singled to drive in two later in the inning, with two other runs coming around on a mis-fielded grounder.
In between, Koen Postelmans shook off first-inning wildness to fire 5.2 shutout innings, permitting just three hits and two walks while striking out four. Before exiting, Smeenk delivered another two-run safety in the fifth, while Gedionne Marlin followed with a RBI-single.
Chun-Yu Pan delivered Taiwan’s only run with a single in the seventh, scoring Chen-Yu Yang. Dutch pitchers combined for eight Ks and only three walks, with the Netherlands returning to the Baseball Week final for a third shot at knocking off archrival Italy.
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], Day 7 [link]. The wrap for Day 8 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 6 – Globetrotters 5 (10)
Semi-Final: Taiwan 1 – Netherlands 9
July 4
Final: Netherlands – Italy
Standings
| Team | W-L | RF | RA |
| Italy | 5-1 | 24 | 11 |
| Netherlands | 5-2 | 43 | 17 |
| Taiwan | 4-3 | 29 | 33 |
| Curaçao | 2-4 | 35 | 29 |
| Czech Republic | 2-4 | 17 | 31 |
| International Globetrotters | 1-5 | 13 | 40 |