In the fifth and final round of the Gold Division, Belgian playoffs, the following games were scheduled: Brasschaat Braves @ Brussels Kangaroos, Borgerhout Squirrels @ Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix, and Hoboken Pioneers @ Deurne Spartans.
Brasschaat Braves 14 – 3 Brussels Kangaroos
After both teams had to do their warmups next to the field because a soccer game was going on, Brasschaat took an early 3-0 lead. One inning later, the Braves added three more runs on a single by Eli Straw and a sac fly by Robin Roevens. But Cole Jenkins didn’t bring his A-game today and was pulled after 1.2 innings. In the second inning, he loaded the bases on three consecutive walks and then hit Kevin Desmedt with a pitch. Another walk and another HBP, allowed the Kangaroos to score two more runs.
After Jenkins was pulled, the Kangaroos were kept on a leash by Robin Roevens and Eli Straw as the ‘Roos only collected two more hits. Despite having a few runners in scoring position in the third, fourth, and fifth inning, it took the Braves until the sixth to expand their lead. An RBI single by Robin Roevens and a sac fly by Lucas Rizzi, drove in two runs in the sixth. In the seventh, a 6-3 groundout drove in the ninth run for the Braves.
The score became a bit flattering in the ninth when the Braves scored five more runs. Sure they were the stronger team, but the Kangaroos gave them a hard time in the first five innings.
Robin Roevens earned the win. In 5.1 innings, he allowed only two hits and struck out three.
Mouro van Mook took the loss. He lasted two innings and gave up six runs (three earned) on
three hits and three walks and struck out three.
Eli Straw was the best hitter for the Braves as he went 3 for 4 with a double, three RBI, and three runs scored.
Borgerhout Squirrels – Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix (8-2 and 11-0)
There was a lot going on in Mont-Saint-Guibert. Apparently the wifi didn’t work so there wasn’t any play-by-play of the first game, that was won by the Borgerhout Squirrels (8-2).
There was a play-by-play of the second game, but according to the website of the KBBSF/FRBBS, the game is still going on. But accoring to insiders, the game was also won by the Squirrels, this time in seven innings, with an 11-0 score.
Until the fifth inning, Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix trailed the Squirrels by only two runs but then a monster inning by the Squirrels, ended the game prematurely.
Three doubles (Tim Veraghtert, Ryan Johnson, and Ferre van Hees), singles by Wesley Roemer and Zion de Brauwer, a bases-loaded HBP, and a wild pitch allowed the Squirrels to score nine runs. After seven innings, the game was over due to the mercy rule.
It is hard to decide who was the winning pitcher as the box score has not been adapted after the top of the sixth inning. Likely Gregg Mareel earned the win. According to the play-by-play, he pitched five innings in which he allowed five hits, walked one, and struck out six.
Nabil Tauil took the loss. In 4.1 innings, he gave up six runs on five hits and three walks and
Wesley Roemer was the best hitter for the Borgerhout Squirrels as he went 2 for 2 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored.
Hoboken Pioneers 10 – 0 Deurne Spartans
The first of two games (the second will be played tomorrow) was a walk over for Hoboken Pioneers. In this game, which was the farewell game of Sharlon Lebacks and Morris De Vriendt, the Pioneers reached a 9-0 lead in an early stage of the game but then failed to deal the decisive blow. After scoreless fifth, sixth, seventh, and eight innings, the team finally scored the tenth run in the ninth inning.
The Spartans didn’t score at all despite having a big chance to get on the board in the ninth inning when they put runners on the corners. But Nando Mostaert hit into a force out at second base for the final out of the game.
The biggest inning for Hoboken was the second. Singles by Nicky Mertens en Sander Verspreet, a bases-loaded walk and a throwing error allowed Pioneers to score five runs.
The winning pitcher was Sven Schüller. He lasted five innings in which he gave up one hit and struck out eight. Sharlon Lebacks took the loss. He gave up nine runs (seven earned) on twelve hits and four walks struck out three. 
Thomas de Wolf was the best hitter for Hoboken. He went 2 for 2 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Tomorrow, the second game will be played. This game will be the farewell game of two other Deurne Spartans players: Gino Jonis and Luis Valdez.
Brasschaat Braves 4 – 1 Brussels KangaroosThe second game of this doubleheader was a much closer affair. But nevertheless, the Brussels Kangaroos never really stood a chance. The team was limited to one run on five hits by Artuur Driessens. That one run was scored in the fifth inning on a triple by Leonel Reina, who drove in Kosaku Nishida all the way from first base. The other four hits that the Kangaroos collected, came at moments in which the team did not have runners on the bases, except for the third inning. In five of the nine innings, Driessens faced only three batters, once thanks to a double play.
Many of the Brasschaat Braves aimed for the fences and flied out.
A double by Axel Poesmans, broke open the score in the second inning when Yves Poesmans and Cole Jenkins scored. In the seventh, a double by Eli Straw extended the Braves’ score by a run. In the ninth, another double by Axel Poesmans drove in one more run to reach the final score.
Artuur Driessens earned the win as he walked one and struck out three. Cedric Desmedt also pitched a complete game but took the loss nevertheless. He allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk and struck out seven.
Axel Poesmans was the best hitter for the Braves as he went 3 for 5 with two doubles and three RBI.
Standings:
| G | W | L | AVG | GB | ||
| 1 | Brasschaat Braves | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0.889 | – |
| 2 | Hoboken Pioneers | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0.778 | 1.0 |
| 3 | Borgerhout Squirrels | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0.714 | 2.0 |
| 4 | Brussels Kangaroos | 10 | 3 | 7 | 0.300 | 5.5 |
| 5 | Deurne Spartans | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0.222 | 6.0 |
| 6 | Mont-Saint Guibert Phoenix | 8 | 1 | 7 | 0.125 | 6.5 |
No matter the outcome of tomorrow’s game between Hoboken Pioneers and Deurne Spartans, the Brasschaat Braves have clinched a spot in the Belgian Series already. If Hoboken loses tomorrow, the Squirrels will have a better record. In the standings above, the two wins of the Squirrels have not been added yet, but the team has a 7-2 record just like Pioneers. If Hoboken will win tomorrow, last week’s suspended game between Brasschaat and Borgerhout has to be played. If the Braves will win that game, the Squirrels will not make it to the Belgian Series but Pioneers will. But if the Squirrels will win that makeup game, three teams will end with the same record (8-2). In that case the mutual results will count. Since Hoboken has won a game and lost a game against both the Squirrels and the Braves but has lost with bigger numbers, the Pioneers will not advance to the Belgian Series but the Squirrels will.
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