Oosterhout Twins moved to the brink of qualification for the 2026 Dutch Hoofdklasse playoffs with a commanding 9–0 road victory over Hoofddorp Pioniers on Thursday evening.
Finn Kops delivered seven scoreless innings for Oosterhout, while the Twins offense took advantage of several Hoofddorp defensive mistakes to turn a close game into a comfortable shutout. The victory improved the Twins to 14–17 and left them needing only one win from Saturday’s home doubleheader against Pioniers to secure the fourth and final playoff position.
Elsewhere, league-leading Curaçao Neptunus defeated Kinheim 5–2 behind six shutout innings from Shairon Martis. Amsterdam Pirates remained two games behind the Rotterdam club by beating UVV 7–0, with Lars Huijer and Jelle van der Lelie combining for 17 strikeouts in a two-hit shutout.
Oosterhout Twins Shut Out Pioniers to Approach Playoff Qualification
Oosterhout entered the series knowing it controlled its own postseason fate.
Three teams, Curaçao Neptunus, Amsterdam Pirates and Kinheim, had already secured playoff places. The remaining position was still being contested by the Twins and Bussum HCAW, but HCAW’s idle weekend gave Oosterhout an opportunity to settle the race without depending on another result.
The Twins took full advantage in the opening game, defeating last-placed Hoofddorp 9–0 and extending their winning streak to five games. Oosterhout now holds a 14–17 record, while HCAW sits fifth at 12–21.
Kops and Jalvingh Control the Opening Innings
The game began as a pitchers’ duel between Oosterhout starter Finn Kops and Hoofddorp right-hander Rik Jalvingh.
Neither lineup scored during the first three innings. Kops kept the Pioniers offense from developing any sustained pressure, while Jalvingh worked through the early part of the Twins batting order without allowing a run.
Oosterhout finally broke through in the fourth inning.
Railison Bentura began the rally with a single and advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch. Luuk Bun followed with another base hit, and a defensive error by the Hoofddorp center fielder allowed Bentura to cross home plate with the first run.
Dion Frank then produced the first clean run-scoring hit of the game. His double brought Bun home and extended the Twins’ advantage to 2–0.
Bentura Starts Another Rally in the Sixth
Bentura was again involved when Oosterhout created separation in the sixth inning.
The Twins infielder reached base to begin the rally, and another Hoofddorp defensive mistake kept the inning alive. Terrence Garcia drove in the third run before a further fielding error allowed two more runners to score.
Daan Verpaalen added another RBI as Oosterhout sent four runs across the plate and increased its lead from 2–0 to 6–0.
Hoofddorp’s defensive problems proved especially costly because Kops gave the home team few opportunities to respond. The Pioniers managed only four hits against the Oosterhout starter over seven scoreless innings.
Twins Add Three Late Runs to Complete 9–0 Victory
Oosterhout added three more runs in the eighth inning, removing any remaining uncertainty from the contest.
Simon Gross replaced Kops and covered the final two innings, completing the shutout and moving the Twins within one victory of the postseason.
The result continued a significant turnaround in the race for fourth place. Oosterhout had strengthened its position one week earlier by defeating HCAW 3–1 in the opening game of their direct series. In that contest, the Twins won despite being outhit 10–5, with Kops, Zane Hendrickx and Ayumu Ishikawa combining to limit HCAW to one run.
Oosterhout has since improved to 14–17 and now owns a three-win advantage over HCAW. Hoofddorp dropped to 5–24 following Thursday’s defeat.
Martis Leads Neptunus Past Kinheim in Battle of Top Pitchers
The matchup between Curaçao Neptunus and Kinheim featured two of the strongest starting pitchers in the Dutch Hoofdklasse.
Veteran right-hander Shairon Martis started for Neptunus, while Kinheim gave the ball to Rick Rizvić. Both pitchers kept the game under control early, but Martis ultimately delivered the stronger performance.
The Neptunus starter completed six scoreless innings and allowed only two hits. Kinheim was unable to generate consistent traffic on the bases or create a major scoring opportunity against him.
Kemp and Janssen Break the Scoreless Tie
Neptunus moved ahead in the fourth inning.
Dwayne Kemp and Drew Janssen each recorded an RBI hit, giving the home team a 2–0 advantage. The two-run margin remained intact until the sixth, keeping Kinheim within striking distance despite Martis’ control of the game.
The Rotterdam offense then created the necessary separation.
Darryl Collins drove in another run with a ground-rule double. Arthur Bonevacia followed with a two-run single, expanding the lead to 5–0 and providing Neptunus with three important insurance runs.
Kinheim scored twice later in the contest, but the Haarlem club was unable to seriously threaten the lead. Neptunus closed out the 5–2 victory and improved to a league-best 29–2. Kinheim fell to 17–15 but remains securely positioned in third place.
Neptunus continues to hold a two-game advantage over Amsterdam Pirates in the race for first place. The Rotterdam club has allowed only 61 runs through 31 games while producing the best winning percentage in the competition at .935.
Huijer Strikes Out 11 as Amsterdam Pirates Blank UVV
Amsterdam Pirates remained in contention for the regular-season championship by recording a 7–0 road victory over UVV.
Lars Huijer produced another dominant performance only days after throwing a no-hitter. The right-hander held UVV scoreless over seven innings, surrendering one hit and striking out 11 batters.
Huijer prevented the Utrecht lineup from establishing any offensive rhythm. UVV rarely put runners in scoring position and was unable to produce a run against one of the league’s leading pitchers.
UVV Errors Give Amsterdam the Early Advantage
Amsterdam’s first two runs came in the fourth inning without an RBI hit.
Two UVV defensive errors allowed the Pirates to move in front, giving Huijer an advantage after three scoreless innings. The visitors then doubled their lead in the fifth.
Jamie Beerman delivered the game’s first run-scoring hit, driving a double into play that brought Tommy van de Sanden and Delano Selassa home. The hit increased Amsterdam’s lead to 4–0 and placed the Pirates firmly in control.
Three additional runs in the ninth inning completed the scoring.
Van der Lelie Strikes Out All Six Batters He Retires
Jelle van der Lelie replaced Huijer for the final two innings and continued the pitching staff’s dominance.
The reliever allowed one hit but recorded all six of his outs by strikeout. Huijer and Van der Lelie combined to strike out 17 batters while limiting UVV to two hits over nine scoreless innings.
The victory improved Amsterdam to 27–4, maintaining its position two games behind Neptunus. UVV fell to 5–26 and remains at the bottom of the standings, narrowly behind Hoofddorp on winning percentage.
Twins Can Clinch Final Playoff Position on Saturday
The regular-season standings have separated into three distinct groups.
Neptunus leads the competition at 29–2, followed by Amsterdam at 27–4. Kinheim holds third place at 17–15, while Oosterhout occupies the fourth and final playoff position at 14–17.
HCAW is fifth at 12–21, with Hoofddorp at 5–24 and UVV at 5–26.
Oosterhout will host Hoofddorp for a doubleheader on Saturday, July 25. One victory from the two games will officially secure the Twins’ place in the postseason.
Amsterdam will host UVV as the Pirates attempt to complete a three-game sweep and remain close to Neptunus. Kinheim will host the league leaders in Haarlem, where Neptunus will look to protect its advantage at the top of the standings.
For Oosterhout, however, the objective is straightforward. After five consecutive victories moved the club ahead of HCAW, one more win will complete its late-season surge and confirm the final team in the 2026 Dutch Hoofdklasse playoff field.