2023 Holland Series: Amsterdam Pirates Deals First Blow

In a hardly advertised first game of the Holland Series, Amsterdam Pirates dealt a surprising first blow. But perhaps not surprising at all as Pirates won most of the regular season games against the antagonist in the Holland Series.

Amsterdam Pirates 6 – 1 Curaçao Neptunus

As Neptunus celebrates its eightieth anniversary in 2023, the club likes to see its flagship team to win the Dutch championship this year. As a result, the club from Rotterdam plundered the pitching staff of Amsterdam Pirates in the off season. Tom de Blok, Mike Groen and yesterday’s starter Shairon Martis were lured away.

But Martis couldn’t keep the lineup of Pirates in check. As a matter of fact, he kind of struggled in the first inning to give Pirates a 2-0 lead. Tommy van de Sanden got on base thanks to a fielding error. Denzel Richardson got on base on an HBP. A base hit by Oliver van der Wijst drove in the first run, and a sac fly by Alex Madera drove in the second.

In the third inning, Tommy van de Sanden came through with a double to left center field and advanced to third on a single to left field, hit by Denzel Richardson. Another sac fly by Oliver van der Wijst drove in Van de Sanden for Pirates’ third run.

In the meantime, Pirates’ starter Scott Prins kept the Neptunus lineup in check. Only in the seventh inning, he allowed the sole run of the Rotterdam team. Until that seventh inning, Prins limited the Neptunus lineup to five hits.

But in the inning before the seventh, four consecutive singles by Kenny Berkenbosch, Jules Cremer, Jorrit Penseel, and Jason Jakobus. That was a sign for Neptunus’ manager Greg Muller to replace Martis with Ryan Huntington, who was lured away from Oosterhout Twins in the off season.

Eventually, in that seventh inning, John Polonius got on base thanks to an HBP, moved to third on a single by Tony Krueger, and scored on a 6-3 groundout by Sheadion Jamanika.

In the top of the ninth, Denzel Richardson personally added another run for Pirates as he hit a solo shot to left center field.

Scott Prins earned the win in a complete game outing. He limited Neptunus to one run on seven hits and a walk, and struck out six. Someone on Facebook named Prins man of the match. Shairon Martis took the loss. In 5.2 innings, he gave up five runs (three earned) on nine hits as he struck out three.

Both Oliver van der Wijst and Jules Cremer went 3 for 4 for Pirates. Van der Wijst drove in two runs, Cremer scored one.

Today, game two will be played in Amsterdam.

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