Corendon Kinheim vs Neptunus

After three scoreless innings, Neptunus broke the deadlock in the fourth. The Rotterdammers added a second run in the fifth to build a 2-0 lead. Kinheim pulled one back in the eighth inning — their only run of the contest — but the visitors exploded for multiple runs in the later frames to turn a tight game into a rout.

The final margin of 9-1 reflected Neptunus's depth across the lineup and their bullpen's dominance, which had been the story of the series since Game 2.

Neptunus's fourth-inning breakthrough, after Kinheim starter Rick Rizvic had held them scoreless through three, shifted the momentum decisively. Rizvic — who threw seven innings of one-run ball in Kinheim's Game 1 upset — could not replicate that magic in Haarlem. The early lead allowed Neptunus to dictate terms, and Kinheim's offence, which had managed only one run across Games 2 and 3 (combined), never mounted a sustained threat.

The knockout blow came in the later innings when Neptunus piled on runs to stretch the lead from 2-1 to 9-1, removing any doubt about the outcome.

Darryl Collins (Neptunus) — Collins delivered pivotal hits throughout the series. His solo home run in Game 2 turned the tide, and he continued to produce in Game 4.

Juancarlos Sulbaran (Neptunus) — The right-hander threw a complete-game shutout in Game 3 (5-0, three hits allowed), setting the tone for the series sweep. Named Pitcher of the Series for his dominant Sunday outing in Rotterdam.

Aidan Finnegan (Kinheim) — One of the few Kinheim batters to consistently produce, Finnegan drove in the team's only run in Game 2 (eighth-inning RBI single) and was the source of their run in Game 4.

Ryan Huntington (Neptunus) — The lefty reliever who struggled in Game 1 (charged with multiple runs) rebounded to close out Game 2 and provided reliable innings out of the bullpen for the remainder of the series.

The 9-1 scoreline tells the story of a series that shifted dramatically after Game 1. Neptunus outscored Kinheim 16-2 across Games 2, 3 and 4, with their pitching staff allowing just two runs in 25 innings. Kinheim's Game 1 outburst (7 runs, mostly against Neptunus's bullpen) proved to be an anomaly against a Neptunus staff that posted a 0.72 ERA over the final three games.

Neptunus's near-perfect regular season (33-3, .917) set the expectation, but Kinheim's Game 1 win showed they could compete. The series hinged on Neptunus's starters going deep — particularly Sulbaran's complete game and the effective outings from the rest of the rotation — while the Haarlem offence stalled after scoring seven in the opener.

Neptunus had won 7 of 8 previous head-to-head meetings in 2026 (per match data) entering this series, and their class eventually told.

Neptunus advance to the Holland Series (best-of-five championship), where they will face either Amsterdam Pirates or Oosterhout Twins. That series was tied 2-1 in favour of Pirates at the time of this match, with a protest decision pending on Game 2.

Kinheim's season ends after a spirited play-off run. The Haarlem club, which finished the regular season at 18-17-1 (.514) in third place, can point to their Game 1 upset as proof of progress under manager Milan Lammerts. Their next competitive action will be the 2027 Hoofdklasse season, which typically begins in April.

Neptunus showed why they dominated the regular season. After one bad night in Rotterdam, they recalibrated — starters went deep, the bullpen locked down, and the lineup applied relentless pressure. Kinheim had their moment in Game 1 but could not sustain it. The Holland Series favourite now awaits their opponent.

No verified match-specific YouTube highlights were publicly available at the time of writing. A full match replay is available on Let's Play (Kinheim's streaming platform).