2021 Belgian Gold Division: Round 4

In the fourth and penultimate round of the Belgian Gold Division, the following doubleheaders were scheduled: Borgerhout Squirrels @ Brasschaat Braves, Deurne Spartans @ Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix, and Hoboken Pioneers @ Brussels Kangaroos.

Schermafbeelding 2021-05-25 om 16.40.09

Borgerhout Squirrels  3  –  4  Brasschaat Braves
BOR flagIn a nail biter, the game needed ten innings as it was tied at three after nine frames. The Brasschaat Braves took a bold 3-0 lead in the first inning when Jamie Verheyleweghen hit a bases-loaded groundout to drive in Cole Jenkins for the opening run, followed by Eli Straw, who scored on a fielding error and by Robin Roevens, who scored on Lino Ballardini’s single to center field. But Borgerhout bounced back and in the next two innings it tied the game. In the second inning, Kevin Vervloet drove in Sam Boermans, and in the third inning, a sac fly by Ryan Johnson and a single by Sam Boermans drove in two runs. In the remaining six frames, neither team did score so extra innings were needed. Borgerhout Squirrels did not execute the classic tie breaker situation when Ryan Johnson reached base on a fielders choice as Tim Veraghtert was thrown out at second base on a 4-6 play. A fly out to right field and a perfect throw towards home plate, where Steven de Lannoy was tagged out for the double play, ended the at-bat for Squirrels. Brasschaat chose the classic option of bunting the runners over. In this case, Jasper van Velthoven got on base on a fielders choice but with some luck as the Squirrels’ first baseman made a throwing error as he threw the ball past first base, the Braves scored the walk off run. 
Lucas Rizzi pitched the final two innings, including the tenth, and earned the win as he allowed a walk and struck out one. Ryan Johnson took the loss as he pitched a complete game and allowed four runsBRA flag (two earned) on three hits and three walks. He struck out ten. 
Lino Ballardini and Lucas Rizzi both went 2 for 3 but Ballardini drove in a run and scored one himself. 

Deurne Spartans  6  –  2  Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix
DEU flagIn a matchup between the bottom two teams, the Deurne Spartans clearly stayed at the right side of the score. Thanks to a sac fly, a passed ball and a wild pitch, Spartans took a 3-0 lead in the second inning. But in the bottom of that inning, Phoenix put two runs on the board when Cédric Nauts singled to center field to drive in Nasser Tauil and Clément Noblet. In the sixth inning, Deurne extended its score when Brian Valdez Lazil scored on a fielders choice. Eventually, in the ninth, Spartans scored two more. Alexis Marquez hit a two-run bomb to right field. 
Jose Luis Larranaga Ocampo earned the win as he pitched a complete game in which he allowed two runs on six hits and a walk, and struck out seven. Tomasz Oberto Silva took the loss. In 5.1 innings, he gave up four runs (three earned) on two hits and six walks and struckMSG Phoenix BSC out three. 
Brian Valdez Lazil was the best hitter for Deurne Spartans as he went 1 for 2 with two runs scored. 

Hoboken Pioneers  6  –  3  Brussels Kangaroos
HOB flagAn easy win for Hoboken Pioneers in game one of the doubleheader. By the time, the Brussels Kangaroos got on the board in the sixth inning, Hoboken had a comfortable lead already. A two-run second, a three-run fourth, and a one-run fifth, gave Pioneers a 6-0 lead. 
In the sixth, the Kangaroos scored two runs on a single by Kevin Desmedt and in the eighth, Oreste Garcia Pupo scored on a passed ball, but that was all Brussels was capable of. 
Kenny van den Branden pitched six innings for the win. He allowed two runs on four hits and four walks and struck out nine. Cedric Desmedt took the loss. In 5.1 innings, he allowed six runs on seven hits and four walks, and struck out five. De Club – Brussels Kangaroos Baseball & Softball Club
The best hitter for the Hoboken Pioneers was Yorrid Sellicaerts as he went 1 for 1. 

Borgerhout Squirrels  12  –  12  Brasschaat Braves
BOR flagThis game was exactly the opposite of the low scoring first game of the doubleheader. In the first inning alone both teams scored a total of eleven runs. A double, two singles and a bases-loaded walk drove in five runs for the Squirrels in the first inning. But the Braves countered with six runs in the bottom of the first, thanks to two doubles, two singles and a bases-loaded walk. But the Squirrels took the lead again in the third inning when they scored four runs. After they scored three more runs in the following two innings, it looked like the team had taken a decisive lead but Brasschaat erased that lead in the fifth and the sixth inning. Because itBRA flag was a slow game, the game was called due to darkness in only the seventh inning. The remainder of the game will be played after next weekend but they will continue the game in the seventh inning and only if it is still necessary. 

Deurne Spartans  6  –  1  Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix
DEU flagAlso in the second game, Deurne Spartans was clearly the better team. It took the team until the fourth inning to get on the board. A double by Brian Valdez Lazil drove in the opening run in the fourth. Spartans would extend its lead with a run in the fifth inning. After Phoenix got on the board with one run in the bottom of the sixth, the team was kept in check by Sharlon Lebacks, who pitched a complete game for the win. He allowed that one run on six hits and a walk and struck out five. Deurne Spartans, on the other hand, kept scoring runs. A two-run homer by Gino Jonis in the seventh and another two-run homer by Morris de Vriendt, put the final score on the board. 
Nabil Tauil took the loss. In five innings, he allowed two unearned runs on five hits and three walks as he struck out three. MSG Phoenix BSC
Morris de Vriendt and Sam Ruijter both went 2 for 4. De Vriendt drove in two and scored thrice, Ruijter hit a double and scored once. 

Hoboken Pioneers  8  –  0  Brussels Kangaroos
HOB flagA clear and much needed win for Hoboken Pioneers in the second game of the doubleheader. Much needed to keep a shot at reaching the Belgian Series. 
Where Hoboken scored at will, Brussels was limited to three hits by Sven Schüller and Brendan Verspeet. 
In the first inning, Dennis de Quint singled home Kelvin Delgado. Two innings later, Benjamin Goffaux drew a bases-loaded walk. 
When Dennis de Quint hit into a double play in the seventh inning, Lieven Buerms scored Hoboken’s third run. A wild pitch, a triple by Kelvin Delgado and a 6-3 groundout drove in four more runs in the eighth inning. Eventually, Pioneers won 8-0. 
Sven Schüller earned the win. In seven innings, he gave up two hits and a walk and struck out six. Kevin Desmedt took the loss. In 7.1 innings, he allowed four runs (three earned) onDe Club – Brussels Kangaroos Baseball & Softball Club nine hits and three walks and struck out six. 
The best hitter for Hoboken Pioneers was Thomas de Wolf, who went 3 for 4. 

Standings: 

 

  Team W L T PCT GB
1 Brasschaat Braves 6 1 0 .857 0
2 Hoboken Pioneers 6 2 0 .750 0.5
3 Borgerhout Squirrels 5 2 0 .714 1
4 Brussels Kangaroos 3 5 0 .375 3.5
5 Deurne Spartans 2 6 0 .250 4.5
6 Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix 1 7 0 .125 5.5


Results of the Silver Division:

Antwerp Eagles  0  –  7  Merchtem Cats
Antwerp Eagles. 0  –  7  Merchtem Cats
Gent Knights  9  –  2  Namur Angels
Gent Knights  0  –  11  Namur Angels

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