2023 Holland Series: Amsterdam Pirates Clinches Its Seventh Dutch Championship

In a game with a handball score, Amsterdam Pirates beat Neptunus 9-8 to win an unexpected Dutch championship. Especially when you look at the 2022 off season, when the club was robbed of several players by today’s losing finalist, the 2023 championship may come as a surprise.

Amsterdam Pirates 9 – 8 Curaçao Neptunus
Earlier today, game six had to be finished as it was rained out after the seventh inning, with a 5-1 for Pirates. The score didn’t chance, so a decisive game seven was needed today.

At the home park of Curaçao Neptunus, it was a see-saw game in which Amsterdam Pirates took a 4-0 lead in the second inning, and Neptunus bounced back in the bottom of the same frame.

In the bottom of the third inning, Neptunus appeared to take a decisive lead when a triple by Arthur Bonevacia drove in two runs and Bonevacia scored the third run of the inning on a balk.

But with two outs, in the top of the fourth inning, Roelie Henrique hit a two run jack to right field, to get within a run of Neptunus. But the team from Rotterdam extended its lead by a run in the bottom of the fourth, when Dwayne Kemp drove in John Polonius on a single.

In the top of the fifth inning, Amsterdam Pirates tied the game at eight. Two walks and a single loaded the bases with only one out. An error by shortstop John Polonius allowed Alex Madera to score the game-tying run next to the run that was scored by Kenny Berkenbosch on Duco Nuijten’s hit, a fielders choice.

In the meantime, Nelmerson Angela pitched a heck of a game as he limited Neptunus to two runs in seven innings of relief. Aaron de Groot eventually gave up the losing run in the eighth inning. Jules Cremer hit a leadoff single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt laid down by Duco Nuijten. After De Groot was replaced by Mike Groen, Jorrit Penseel singled to center field to drive in Cremer for what was the championship clinching run.

Thanks to Mike Groen’s solid relief outing (two hits allowed in 1.2 innings), Pirates didn’t score any more runs. But the aforementioned Nelmerson Angela pitched better as he lasted seven innings in relief to earn the win. Aaron de Groot was tabbed with the loss.

Jason Jakobus, who replaced Denzel Richardson, who went 0 for 4, was the best hitter for Amsterdam Pirates as he went 1 for 1. Jorrit Penseel drove in the most runs for the Dutch champions. Going 2 for 4, Penseel drove in four runs.

Since Curaçao Neptunus celebrates its eightieth anniversary this year, the 2023 championship mattered a lot to the club. As a result, they acquired (bought) three pitchers from Amsterdam Pirates in the 2022 off season, leaving the Amsterdam pitching staff in shambles. But with the acquisition of manager Mervin Gario from Hoofddorp Pioniers, several players of that club followed him to Amsterdam. Where Hoofddorp Pioniers never really could impress under the helm of Gario, apparently the foundation of Amsterdam Pirates was still strong enough for Gario to guide them to their seventh Dutch championship. The best thing of this is that this championship is a reward for the players of Amsterdam, who paid a substantial part of the costs of this season themselves.