Belgian Divison One: April 5, 2025 Match of The Day
Today the 2025 season in the highest Belgian League started. There were two double headers and one single game. As the play-by-play of the KBBSF (Belgian Baseball Federation) got stuck, only two results could be published. Of these two games, I picked the one below as game of the day.
Braine Black Rickers 11 – 16 Brasschaat Braves
The debuting Braine Black Rickers gave the Brasschaat Braves a run for its money. In the second inning, the club from Wallonia (French speaking part of Belgium) took a commanding lead but in the end, the team lacked pitching depth to keep the Braves at bay.
After the Braves had taken a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Hunter Cooper that drove in Robbe de Boey, Braine took advantage of the lack of control of pitcher Brandon Cruz in the top of the second inning. The import pitcher recorded three HBPs, three wild pitches, and a walk. Combined with a 1-3 groundout and a single to left-center field this resulted in six runs for the Black Rickers.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Braves inched close. With runners on the corners, Jamie Peeters hit a bases clearing triple. Jamie was driven in himself by Steven de Lannoy on a sac fly.
In the following five-and-a-half frames, the Black Rickers scored five more runs, and the Braves added four to their total. So with the start of the bottom of the eighth inning, the Black Rickers held a three-run lead.
In the bottom of the eighth, Brasschaat hit relief pitcher Jade Thorne hard. The reliever faced twelve batters and gave up eight runs before he was replaced by Jhoanderson Freitez.
Hunter Cooper, who replaced Brandon Cruz in the fifth inning, kept Braine from scoring in the top of the ninth, as he earned the win with two runs given up (one earned) and a 1.80 ERA. In five innings, he gave up four hits, walked one, and struck out four.
After a two-year absence, Thomas de Wolf returned in Division 1. The slugger was the best hitter for the Braves as he went 4 for 5 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Other results of today:
Phoenix Mont-Saint-Guibert 1 – 5 Merchtem Cats
Phoenix Mont-Saint-Guibert 8 – 7 Merchtem Cats
Borgerhout Squirrels 11 – 3 Namur Angels
Borgerhout Squirrels 6 – 7 Namur Angels
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