2025 Holland Series

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2025 Holland Series: Curaçao Neptunus (37-5) def. HCAW (32-10), 4 games to 2

Introduction

The 2025 Holland Series was the 39th Holland Series and was a rematch of 2024.

Teams

Neptunus

Neptunus had won a record 20 titles, including last year's. They had the best regular-season record, outscoring opponents 292-73. Greg Muller was back as manager. Key hitters had been LF Kevin Dirksen (.357/.500/.464, 31 BB in 38 G), C Yurdion Martie (.370/.475/.420), UT Drew Janssen (.320/.405/.469) and 3B/SS Stijn van der Meer (.328/.444/.423, 35 R in 37 G). The league's best pitching staff was led by Tom de Blok (11-0, 0.78), Janssen (5-1, 2 Sv, 0.96), Ryan Huntington (2-0, 6 Sv, 0.30) and former major leaguer Shairon Martis (12-2, 1.55, 9 BB in 92 2/3 IP).

HCAW

HCAW, managed by Gino Henson, had gone 32-10 with the league's top offense (294 R) and second-best pitching (100 RA). RF Marnix Ruben batted .411/.452/.596 with 18 steals and 40 runs in 34 games, SS Delano Selassa hit .391/.410/.562 with 17 swipes and 43 runs in 41 games and C/LF Jair van Borkulo was at .320/.459/.475. Their staff was led by Lars Huijer (3-0, 0.36), Nelmerson Angela (8-4, 1.12), Dennis Burgersdijk (9-1, 1.29) and Rick Rizvić (6-3, 1.79) with Sedley Karel (1-0, 5 Sv, 1.56) a fine closer.

Games

August 30

Game 1 in Neptunus Familiestadion

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
HCAW	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	10	1
Neptunus	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	7	1
Win: Huijer (1-0) Loss: Huntington (0-1)

This year's Series started over a month earlier than last year's, so that the event could conclude prior to the 2025 European Championship. Both teams went to their aces, former minor leaguers Huijer and de Blok. HCAW got to de Blok in the third when C Julian Goins and RF Ruben both walked, CF Jeandro Tromp laid down a bunt hit and SS Selassa hit into an error by 3B Den Seelbach to make it 1-0. That brought up the 4-5-6 hitters with the bases juiced. De Blok escaped further trouble when DH Arthur Bonevacia hit into a force at home, LF van Borkulo struck out and 2B Alex Madera flew out. Huijer cruised through the first six but the defending champs evened it up in the 7th. 2B Dwayne Kemp singled and CF Darryl Collins walked; both advanced on a Dirksen bunt. With two away, Huijer uncorked a wild pitch to make it 1-1.

Huntington relieved de Blok and blanked HCAW in the 8th and 9th while Huijer kept the hosts from pulling ahead. In the 10th, Ruben singled and Tromp bunted him over. Selassa was intentionally walked, then PH Victor Draijer, a former MVP, went down swinging. Van Borkulo more than made up for it with a two-run triple for the game-winning blow. C Sem Kuijper led off the bottom of the 10th with a hit but Huijer retired 1B Sheadion Jamanika, backup 3B Urving Kemp and SS van der Meer in order to close it up; he had went a 10-inning, 135-pitch complete game.

August 31

Game 2 in Rob Hoffmann Vallei

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Neptunus	0	0	0	1	2	1	0	0	0	4	7	1
HCAW	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	5	0
Win: Martis (1-0) Loss: Angela (0-1)

This one also began with a fine pitching matchup, Martis and Angela trading goose eggs for three. In the 4th, RF Christian Diaz and Kemp hit back-to-back singles. Angela was injured and replaced by Kaj Timmermans, who began by intentionally walking Collins to load them up. Dirksen coaxed a 8-pitch walk to force in the first run but Timmermans rebounded to get Kuijper swinging then Martie hit into a double play. In the 5th, they built the lead further as Jamanika doubled and Janssen hit a two-run homer. HCAW got back one in the bottom of the frame, their lone tally off Martis, who went the distance. 3B Jesse Aussems, Goins and Ruben hit three straight singles for their run. In the 6th, Neptunus got the game's final run, when Martie doubled in Kuijper.

September 4

Game 3 in Neptunus Familiestadion

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
HCAW	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	4	7	0
Neptunus	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Win: Burgersdijk (1-0) Loss: Janssen (0-1)

Burgersdijk dominates today, throwing a four-hitter while walking one in going the distance. Janssen matches him early, facing the minimum through three. Ruben opened the fourth with a single, advanced on a Tromp bunt and took third on a Selassa hit. A wild pitch brought home Ruben, the only run Janssen allowed today. HCAW got some insurance in the 9th against Huntington. Selassa got his third hit and Bonevacia drew a walk; with two away, Draijer and 1B Shurman Marlin delivered back-to-back doubles to produce three runs.

September 6

Game 4 in Rob Hoffmann Vallei

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	R	H	E
Neptunus	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	5	0
HCAW	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	2
Win: De Blok (1-0) Loss: Huijer (1-1)

The visiting teams improve to 4-0 on the Series. De Blok throws a three-hitter over ten shutout innings. Ruben made it to third with two outs in the first but was stranded. In the second, Marlin had a one-out walk and Goins a two-out double to put two men in scoring position but de Blok struck out 3B Brendly Martina. De Blok would allow only one hit over the final eight. Huijer was nearly as dominant. In the 4th, Neptunus had a runner out at home. The two hurlers combine to retire 23 in a row from the 6th to the 9th. Dwayne Kemp opened the 10th with a hit and a Ruben error sent him to second. Collins bunted him to third and PH Martie singled in the game's lone run.

September 7

Game 5 in Neptunus Familiestadion

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
HCAW	0	0	1	0	1	1	0	0	1	4	6	2
Neptunus	0	0	0	1	4	0	0	1	x	6	14	5
Win: Martis (2-0) Loss: Angela (0-2)

Neptunus survived a horrible day on defense. HCAW struck first, in the third. Madera reached on an error by Stijn van der Meer at third base and scored on a double by Goins off Martis, who would go the distance. In the 4th, the home team tied it up when Angela plunked Collins, then Martie singled; following a double play, Jamanika singled in a run. In the 5th, Neptunus yielded another unearned run when Dwayne Kemp erred on a ball hit by Marlin, who came home on a wild pitch, a Madera single and a fielder's choice.

Neptunus pulled away in the bottom of the 5th. Janssen hit a one-out single and Diaz was hit by a pitch. Dwayne Kemp doubled in a run and Collins hit into a two-run error by Marlin to make it 4-2. Martie singled in another, knocking out Angela in favor of Rizvić, who calmed things down. HCAW moved back within two in the 6th when Selassa doubled, Bonevacia singled and Draijer hit into a run-scoring force. Neptunus got an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th versus Timmermans. Jamanika singled, SS Bob van der Meer bunted him to second and Bob's brother Stijn grounded him to third. Janssen then singled for a 6-3 cushion. In the 9th, HCAW got a little closer when Marlin hit a one-out double and Jamanika committed another error. Only one of HCAW's four runs today had been earned.

September 13

Game 6 in Rob Hoffmann Vallei

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Neptunus	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	0	3	11	1
HCAW	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	3	2
Win: De Blok (2-0) Loss: Huijer (1-2)

In a rematch of Game 4, de Blok and Huijer again turned in strong pitching performances; again, de Blok prevailed, giving his team the title. Back-to-back-to-back singles by Janssen, Diaz and Dwayne Kemp in the 3rd gave Neptunus a 1-0 lead over Huijer. They doubled it in the 7th when Jamanika got plunked, Bob van der Meer singled (he was 3-for-3), Stijn van der Meer hit into a force and Goins made a throwing error on a steal attempt by Stijn van der Meer. Victor Draijer's 7th-inning homer off de Blok closed it back to a one-run game. In the 8th, though, Diaz knocked out Huijer with a dinger of his own. De Blok went the distance with a 3-hitter.

Sources

• Dutch Baseball and Softball Federation