2026 Belgian Division One: Match of The Day (May 9)
The closest game of the day was the first game between the Brussels Kangaroos and the Merchtem Cats. After a four-and-a-half inning lead, the Cats stayed at the wrong side of the score eventually.
Merchtem Cats 6 – 7 Brussels Kangaroos
After a scoreless first inning, the Merchtem Cats got on the board in the second inning. Back-to-back doubles by Owen van Droogenbroeck and Aaron Meert, gave the Cats a 1-0 lead. In the following frame, the Cats had a rerun of the previous inning. Oliver Almonte Berroa hit a leadoff single to right field, followed by a stolen base. Robin Reyns then doubled down the left field line to drive in Almonte Berroa for the Cats’ second run.
Until the fifth inning, Tom Herinckx kept the lineup of the Kangaroos in check rather well, as he allowed only a single and a double. But in the bottom of the fifth, the bats of the Kangaroos woke up. With two outs and runners on the corners, Jhoanderson Freitez hit a bases-clearing triple to left field, followed by Aaron Sluys, whose long ball cleared the right field fence for a two-run homer.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Kangaroos added three more runs to their score thanks to a bases-clearing triple by Ken Spurgeon and a sac fly by Jhoanderson Freitez.
In the seventh and the ninth inning, the Cats inched closer but it wasn’t enough to get alongside, although they came very close to tie the game in the ninth. With runners in scoring position in the top of the seventh inning, Oliver Almonte Berroa doubled to right field. In the top of the ninth, Tyler Hill doubled to left field, and allowed Noah van Agtmael to score from second and Oliver Almonte Berroa to score all the way from first. Owen van Droogenbroeck singled up the middle, normally a sure hit to drive in someone from second, but this time, center fielder Ken Spurgeon gunned down Tyler Hill at home plate for the game-saving final out.
At the age of thirty-four, Cédric Desmedt still proved to be a workhorse. Even though it wasn’t his best outing, he pitched a complete game for the win, in which he allowed six runs on thirteen hits and a walk and struck out nine.
Tom Herinckx took the loss. In six innings, he gave up seven runs on eleven hits and two walks, and fanned three.
Notable feat was that neither team committed an error.
Other results of today:
Merchtem Cats – Brussels Kangaroos: 5 – 7
Hoboken Pioneers – Phoenix Mont-Saint-Guibert: 8 – 1; 15 – 0
Namur Angels – Borgerhout Squirrels: 3 – 13; game two will be played tomorrow
Deurne Spartans – Brasschaat Braves: 5 – 9; game two will be played tomorrow
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