[youtube xPTknFp_sl8 520]
by Pim van Nes
Under the live airing cameras of Netherlands national broadcaster NOS, Game 5 of Holland Series delivered the 2015 champion of Hoofdklasse baseball. After the strategic 8-4 home win by Corendon Kinheim on Saturday, it was visiting Curacao Neptunus to clinch the national championship of the Netherlands by winning game 5 by 6-2. Since the first title for Neptunus in 1981, present means Landskampioenschap nr 16 for the best club of the country all times. Runners-up in this domain: Haarlem Nicols with 12, Sparta and Blauw-Wit 9 each, OVVO 6, Kinheim, SC Haarlem and Schoten 5 each, Pirates and Ajax 4 titles each.
Sweet sixteen applies to topclub founder Frans van Aalen and to player, coach and manager Jan Collins. For present manager Evert-Jan ‘t Hoen, who turns 40 years young on November 8, the third consequtive championship of the club means his 100 % result since he took the helm over from Jan Collins. Most successful club manager in Hoofdklasse remains Jan-Dick Leurs with 6 titles by Haarlem Nicols. Three titles at a row for Neptunus is not the first ever in Hoofdklasse. The club has conserved a historic streak of seven championships from 1999 through 2005, OVVO Amsterdam reached a streak of five (1949 – 1953), Blauw-Wit Amsterdam four (1943 – 1946), Sparta Rotterdam four (1971 – 1974), Haarlem Nicols four (1982 – 1985) and three (1975 – 1977).
A sunny weekend in second half September favored Pim Mulier Stadium when hosting Holland Series 2015. The three home games for Corendon Kinheim started with postponed Game 3 on Friday evening. Still missing first starting pitcher Tom Stuifbergen due to a 3 games suspension, Kinheim picked Nick Veltkamp for the start on the mound, but he was hit hard by 9 Neptunus batters in 1.1 innings, resulting in 7 earned runs. For the first time this weekend, David Bergman had to stop Neptunus and he managed to stay during 2.2 innings without further damage. The gap was shortened by 5 Kinheim runs in the sixth, but widened again by 4 Neptunus runs in the ninth. Final score 6-11 for Neptunus, comfortable at championship point for the rest of the Haarlem weekend: 3-0 in games.
Finest day for Haarlem was Saturday with Game 4 and finally former pro pitcher Tom Stuifbergen available for Kinheim. Thanks to his strong performance, Kinheim prevented the Holland Series sweep in their Pim Mulier stadium. Stuifbergen left the mound in the seventh inning with the score at 5-2 for reliever Pim Walsma, who managed to save the game for Kinheim: 8-4. Homeruns by Gianison Boekhoudt (1) for Neptunus and Bryan Engelhardt (2) for Kinheim. Home team runs were batted in by Bryan Engelhardt (4), Marvin Gario (2) and rookie Jochem Koedijk (2). With new Dutch federation president Ron Schel in the stadium, Holland Series were lifted to Game 5 on Sunday, for which NOS cameras were to bring baseball directly on television screens via national channel 1.
With former KNBSB presidents Theo Reitsma and Ruud van Zetten in the stadium, potentially decisive Game 5 started at 13.00 hrs enabling live reporting by NOS in their regular sports program. Starting pitchers were 21 years old Glenn Wassink for Kinheim and two no-hitter pitcher Orlando Yntema for Neptunus. Before the latter came to the mound, his team was already 0-4 ahead in the game. For the second time this weekend good old David Bergman came to the mound in the second inning and now he allowed only one Neptunus run during an even longer stay: 5.2 innings. In the last three innings each team added a run to their score: 2-6.
In closing ceremony KNBSB vice-president Frits Mulder replaced his new president Schel and handed cup and medals to Neptunus players and staff. Holland Series MVP was Belgian second base man Benjamin Dille: highest batting average .458 (11/24), highest slugging .667, highest on-base percentage .480, most hits 11, most runs 8 and most RBI 8. It was Dille‘s third election as MVP in Holland Series after 2009 and 2013.