HAARLEM, Netherlands — The Netherlands didn’t wait around. By the time Chinese Taipei recorded its second out of the night, the game was already gone.
The host nation erupted for six runs in the bottom of the first and cruised from there, beating Chinese Taipei 9-1 on Friday at Pim Mulier Stadion to book its place in Saturday’s Gold-Medal Game. Orange Nation will meet Italy for the Honkbalweek Haarlem title.
The first inning was a rout inside a rout. Marnix Ruben walked, Delano Selassa singled, and Dwayne Kemp doubled home the first run before a wild pitch made it 2-0. A walk, a catcher’s interference, and back-to-back miscues pushed two more across, and Raphael Smeenk capped the frame with a two-run single to left-center. Six runs, and Chinese Taipei starter Kuo Tzu-Chuan was pulled after retiring just one batter.
From there it was a coronation. Koen Postelmans was in complete command, spinning 5.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts and just three hits allowed, handing a six-run cushion to a bullpen that never let Taipei back in it. The Dutch tacked on three more in the fifth — Sharlon Schoop and Kemp singled ahead of another Smeenk knock, and a Gedionne Marlin single made it 9-0.
Smeenk finished with four RBI, the biggest afternoon in a balanced Dutch attack that drew six walks and pounded out ten hits without a home run — small ball, timely hitting, and relentless pressure on an overmatched Taipei staff. Kemp reached three times and scored twice; Schoop added two hits.
Chinese Taipei, which had shocked its way through pool play behind a strong pitching staff, simply had no answer once the first inning got away. Its lone run came in the seventh, when Pan Chun-Yu singled home I-Wei Li. Yu Tsung-Ju — the right-hander who’d thrown a complete-game shutout earlier in the week — worked two scoreless in relief, but by then it was housekeeping.
The Netherlands move on to face an Italy side that has beaten them twice already this tournament, including a 1-0 gem in the playoff round. The rematch, with gold on the line, goes Saturday afternoon.
Netherlands 9, Chinese Taipei 1 · R-H-E: NED 9-10-0, TPE 1-7-2 · W: Postelmans · L: Kuo · Att: 1,777 · T: 2:59
Honkbalweek Haarlem 2026 — Schedule & Results
All games at Pim Mulier Stadion, Haarlem. Streamed live on Honkbalsoftbal.tv.
Round Robin · June 26 – July 1
Netherlands 6, Globetrotters 1
Chinese Taipei 3, Curaçao 2 (F/10)
Globetrotters 4, Czechia 3
Italy 2, Netherlands 0 (F/8)
Italy 3, Globetrotters 1
Netherlands 15, Chinese Taipei 4
Curaçao 11, Czechia 2
Czechia 1, Chinese Taipei 0
Italy 11, Curaçao 3
Italy 3, Czechia 1
Chinese Taipei 10, Globetrotters 0
Netherlands 6, Curaçao 4
Chinese Taipei 6, Italy 4
Curaçao 12, Globetrotters 2
Netherlands 7, Czechia 4
Playoff Stage · July 2–4
Thursday, July 2
Chinese Taipei 5, Curaçao 2
Italy 1, Netherlands 0
Friday, July 3
Czechia 6, Globetrotters 5 (F/10) — 5th/6th place
Netherlands 9, Chinese Taipei 1 — Gold-game semifinal
Saturday, July 4 — Gold-Medal Game
Italy 4, Netherlands 3 — CHAMPIONS
