Oosterhout Twins Makes The Playoffs of Dutch Hoofdklasse

After game three of the wild card race against RCH/Pinguïns was rained out on Sunday, the game was played last night. As RCH/Pinguïns won game one and Twins won game two, it all came down to this rubber game. At “enemy” soil, Twins stayed at the right side of the score as they beat the team from Heemstede 6-5.

In what was a bit of a see-saw game, RCH/Pinguïns took a 2-0 lead thanks to singles by Thomas Kwakernaak (bottom first) and Paris Aguilera Zayas (bottom second). 
After Oosterhout Twins was limited to only one hit in the first three innings, their bats woke up in the fourth. Thanks to singles by Axel Poesmans and Luuk Bun, a double by Railison Bentura, an HBP (Luuk Visser), a sacrifice fly by Berend Ruben, and a fielder’s choice by Gijs van Zalingen, Twins took a 4-2 lead. 

In the fifth and the sixth inning, both lineups were kept in check by the opponent’s pitching. But in the bottom of the seventh, RCH/Pinguïns regained the lead again. A bases-loaded walk, drawn by Jesse Aussems, and a ditto single by Thomas Kwakernaak, drove in three runs for the team from Heemstede. 

As neither team scored in the eighth inning, it all came down to the final at-bat for Twins. 
With runners on first and second and one out, Gijs van Zalingen singled down the right field line to drive in Terrence Garcia for the game-tying run. Onne van Gool moved to third on the hit and eventually scored on a sac-fly to center field. 

Simon Gross, who had entered the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, slammed the door for the RCH/Pinguïns lineup as he retired the side with two Ks. As a result, Simon earned the win as he allowed one hit  and a walk and struck out five in 2.2 innings of work. 

Reliever Jeremy Young took the loss. In two innings, he gave up two runs on three hits and a walk, as he struck out one. 

Both Berend Ruben and Terrence Garcia hit .500. Ruben went 1 for 2 with an RBI, Garcia went 2 for 4 with a run scored. 

This win is a make up for the final game of the regular season, that Twins lost vs RCH/Pinguïns and that allowed the club from Heemstede to advance to the top four group. 
The KNBSB made a good choice by opting for this format. It proves that everything is possible. Also Amsterdam Pirates made it to the playoffs, but the team had to go deep to beat DSS/Kinheim. 

In the playoffs, Oosterhout Twins has to take on Curacao Neptunus. As the multiple Dutch champions acquired a lot of playes in the off season, there is a big chance that Twins will not make it to the Holland Series.  Amsterdam Pirates has to take on the reigning Dutch champions HCAW from Bussum. 

Twins was the only team deciding to rejuvenate this season as they didn’t extend the contracts of hired guns. Instead, the team decided to promote many young players of their farm team. Likely, not many expected the team to perform this well, but let’s hope, more Dutch hoofdklasse clubs will follow the example. 


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