2022 Belgian Division 1: Round 3

In the third round of the Belgian Division 1, the following doubleheaders were scheduled for the Saturday: Deurne Spartans @ Brussels Kangaroos, Merchtem Cats @ Sunville Tigers, Borgerhout Squirrels @ Brasschaat Braves, Phoenix Mont-Saint-Guibert @ Ghent Knights, and Hoboken Pioneers @ Namur Angels

Deurne Spartans @  Brussels Kangaroos (6 -2 ; 2 – 7)
A split in the games between the Spartans and the Kangaroos. In the first game, the Deurne Spartans took a commanding 4-0 lead in the first inning, which was too much for the Kangaroos to overcome. A three-run home run by Frank Alejandro Prieto Burgos and an RBI-single by Steff Roymans, handed to lead to the team from Deurne. Two more runs were scored in the top of the fourth, when Leonel Reina singled home Steff Roymans from second, and Johiner Alfonso Arguinzones Ocanto drove in Reina on a single to right field. 
All the Kangaroos could do was score two runs, one in the fifth on a double by Jayde Thorne, and one on a groundout by Guillaume Deletombe. 
Anderson Denny Gerdel Nieto earned the win. He lasted six innings, in which he allowed one run on three hits and three walks and struck out four. Cedric Desmedt was hit hard and lasted four innings. He was credited with the loss, as he gave up six runs on nine hits and a walk and struck out three. 
The run production of the Spartans came mainly from three hitters, who all went 2 for 3: Johiner Alfonso Arguinzones Ocanto with an RBI and a run scored, Frank Alejandro Prieto Burgos with three RBI and a run scored, and Steff Roymans with an RBI and a run scored. 
The second game was a win for the Kangaroos. The Roos took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but the Spartans bounced back two innings later when they tied the score. The Kangaroos on their turn regained the lead in the bottom of the third inning. With three consecutive base hits (triples by Luis Unda and Luis Manuel Veras Luciano, and a double by Cedric Desmedt), a single and a bases-loaded walk, the team from the Belgian capital scored five runs and never looked back.
Elvis Polanco pitched a seven-inning complete game for the win. He gave up two runs on ten hits and struck out six. Matthew de Permentier took the loss. In two innings and four batters faced in the third, he gave up six runs on six hits and a walk as he struck out one. 
Elio Fundora Basnueva was the best hitter for the Kangaroos as he went 2 for 3 with two RBI and a run scored. 
Notable feat: After the game, players of both teams played basketball until 22.00 (10.00 PM). 


Merchtem Cats  –  Sunville Tigers (5 – 0 ; 6 – 2)
A bitter loss for the Sunville Tigers in game one. For six innings, the Tigers could keep the Cats from scoring. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t score themselves either. But in the seventh and final inning, Daan Kuenen struggled with his control and was hit hard. Kuenen started with giving up three consecutive walks, before Rusty Huber doubled down the left field line to drive in two runs. When Clément Dupuis tried to stretch a single into a double, he was thrown out 7-4 but this play allowed two runners to score again. A bases-loaded walk drove in the fifth and final run for the Cats. 
Rusty Huber earned the win as he pitched a complete game (seven innings) in which he limited the tigers to only two hits. He gave up one walk and struck out nine.  Daan Kuenen took the loss as he gave up the aforementioned five runs on three hits and five walks and struck out two. 
With two hits out of four at-bats, Robin Vizee was the best hitter for the Merchtem Cats. 
Unlike the first game, the Merchtem Cats were the better team right from the start in game two. The Cats took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Tigers fought their way back in the bottom of the first and second as they scored two runs. But that was all the Tigers were capable of. In the remainder of the game, the Cats scored three more runs.
Clément Dupuis earned the win after a complete game (seven innings) in which he gave up two runs on six hits and a walk and struck out five. Arne Stalmans took the loss. He allowed five runs on three hits and three walks, and struck out one in two innings. 
Rusty Huber was the best hitter for the Cats as he went 2 for 3 with a double, two RBI, and a run scored. 


Borgerhout Squirrels  –  Brasschaat Braves (3 – 4 ; 4 – 8)
The opening game of this series was a close affair that was decided in the final inning. 
The Brasschaat Braves took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, scored another run in the third and one more in the bottom of the fourth. In the top of the fourth, the Borgerhout Squirrels got on the board when Matthias Group could score on a throwing error by the catcher. In the sixth inning, the Squirrels tied the game on RBI-singles by Sander De Saedeleer and Steven De Lannoy. But in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Braves pushed for the decisive run. With runners on first and second, Yves Poesmans had the game-winning hits, as he singled to center field to drive in Quinten Anthonissen. 
Cade Johnson pitched a complete, seven-inning, game in which he allowed three runs on six hits and eight walks, as he struck out four. Yann Van den Brande took the loss. In 2.1 innings, he gave up one run on four hits and two walks as he struck out one. 
Jamie Verheyleweghen, who was taken out of the game in the fourth inning, was the best hitter for the Brasschaat Braves, as he went 2 for 2 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. 
The second game was not as close as the first one. The Braves took a 3-0 lead in the first two innings, before the Squirrels got on the board with two runs in the top of the third inning. Later in the game, in the seventh inning, the Squirrels scored two more runs, but by then, the Braves had a comfortable lead as the team scored one run in the fourth and four in the sixth. 
Lucas Rizzi earned the win as he pitched a seven-inning complete game in which he allowed four runs on five hits and five walks as he struck out six. Gregg Mareels took the loss. He lasted four innings, in which he allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks. 
Also in this game, Jamie Verheyleweghen was red hot. He went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI. 


Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix  @  Ghent Knights (7 – 4 ; 10 – 11)
A split in this series as well. It meant the very first victory for the Ghent Knights this season. In the first game, Mont-Saint-Guibert Phoenix needed extra innings to clinch the win. 
After a 4-4 tie in the seventh inning, Phoenix scored thrice in the eighth to clinch the victory.  An RBI-Single by Robbe De Jongh, a throwing error by the catcher, and a 1-3 groundout drove in three decisive runs. 
Robin Meuris pitched a complete game for Ghent Knights, but took the loss nonetheless. He needed one hundred and twenty-two pitches to complete the game, in which he allowed seven runs (four earned) on four hits and four walks and struck out eight. 
Martin Yonchev earned the win. In 1.2 innings in relief, he allowed one run on one hit and one walk. 
Three Phoenix batters went 1 for 3: Julien Muyldermans with a triple and two runs scored, Robbe De Jongh with an RBI and two runs scored, and Natheo Collazos-Muños with one RBI. 
In the second game, the Ghent Knights turned the tables. After six innings, the game was tied at six but it was the Ghent Knights that scored three runs for the win in the seventh frame, at least according to the box score. But when you check the box score, the total number of runs for the Ghent Knights (bottom row) is thirteen instead of eleven. 


The number of runs allowed by the pitchers of Mont-Saint-Guibert in the pitching section of the box score also shows thirteen runs. 
Anyhow, Viktor Vandervelden earned the win. In four innings in relief, he gave up one unearned run on two walks and struck out seven. Tashi Clesse took the loss as he gave up two runs in the seventh inning, without recording an out. As one run is enough to clinch a win after a game is tied, it is likely the final score was 10-11 instead of 10-13 and Clesse allowed only one run, the winning run. 
Robin Meuris and Loic Daoudi both went 3 for 5. Meuris drove in four runs and scored thrice, Daoudi drove in five runs and scored once. 


Hoboken Pioneers  – Namur Angels (24 – 3 ; 6 – 5)
With the help of T.J. Antonacci, head coach of Hoboken Pioneers, yours truly was able to write the game report of this series, as the box scores of both games are far from complete. 
In game one, Dennis de Quint was a hard nut to crack for the defense of the Namur Angels. De Quint collected five hits, singled in the first, doubled in the second, doubled in the third, homered in the fourth, and singled in the fifth.  In the first inning, Pioneers took a 1-0 lead but the Angels managed to tie the game in the bottom of the first. But an eleven-run second inning, put Pioneers in the driver’s seat as the team never looked back. 
Zane Hendrickx earned the win. lasted five innings, allowing two hits and three runs while striking out three. Lucas Heymans took the loss. He lasted three innings, allowing ten hits and 15 runs as he struck out three. 
A bitter loss for Namur in game two as Pioneers stole the victory away late in the game. With the game tied at five in the seventh inning, Hoboken loaded the bases before Jason Jie Sam drew a walk to drive in what appeared to be the game-winning run. 
Falling behind by four runs, the Namur Angels showed some fighting spirit as they fought their way back, scoring five runs on a single by Lucas Heymans, a double by Steve Jordens, a passed ball by Ludovic Geuquet, and Geuquet’s sac fly. 
Kenny Van den Branden earned the win. The righty allowed two hits and zero runs over two and a third innings, striking out three and walking zero. Carlos Alberto Cortes Rojas took the loss for Namur Angels. The pitcher surrendered six runs on five hits over seven innings, striking out seven.
Thomas De Wolf led Pioneers with two hits in three at-bats.


This blog post is brought to you by