2026 Belgian Division One: Hoboken Pioneers Wins Championship in Unbeaten Fashion
Today, the championship game(s) between Borgerhout Squirrels and Hoboken Pioneers was/were played. The format was that the loser of the first game, but who did win all previous games in the tournament, would get another shot in today’s second game.
Borgerhout Squirrels 2 – 3 Hoboken Pioneers (extra innings)
Where Hoboken Pioneers was vastly dominant last year, they didn’t make it to the championship game. This year they wouldn’t let it come that far. For Borgerhout Squirrels, it was the second year in a row, where they reached the championship game but couldn’t clinch the championship.
The fans were treated to pitching matchup in game one. Taliesin Patrick Tardrew-O’Meara pitched a solid game in which he surpassed the hundred pitch mark well as he struck out fourteen. Hoboken used two pitchers who combined for two earned runs and eleven strikeouts.
Despite Hoboken being the favorite, Borgerhout took the lead in the second inning. Cedric Vandesompele led of with a single, followed by a double to left field, hit by Nick Vanthillo that drove in Vandesompele.
In the bottom of the third inning, with two outs, Pioneers scored on a bases-loaded walk.
Two innings later, Pioneers took the lead when Benjamin Goffaux scored on a 6-3 groundout.
The lead of Pioneers did not last long as Sam Boermans hit a monster home run to left center field to tie the game at two.
It all came down to the final inning. Borgerhout didn’t get any further than first base, but Hoboken managed to get a runner on third base. With two outs, Benjamin Goffaux was walked intentionally, but Vegas Tiliakos struck out for the final out of the ninth, so extra innings were needed.
In the tenth inning, the tie-breaker rule was in place. With runners on first and second, Bryan Otto wasn’t able to bunt the runners over and hit an infield-fly for the first out. Matthias Group followed with a sac fly to center field and moved both runners over into scoring position but Tim Veraghtert flied out to second base.
With Hobokens turn in the tenth, Taliesin Patrick Tardrew-O’Meara still wasn’t replaced, despite having thrown one-hundred-and-forty-one pitches already.
Wesley Janssens managed of what Bryan Otto failed to do, bunting the runners over into scoring position. Then Dennis de Quint was walked intentionally to load the bases. The game ended with an anti-climax when Lucas Rizzi was hit with a pitch, to drive in the winning run from third base.
Kevin Desmedt earned the win. In four innings, he gave up four hits and struck out four. Taliesin Patrick Tardrew-O’Meara took the loss.
Benjamin Goffaux was the best hitter for Hoboken as he went 2 for 3 with two runs scored.
Hoboken Pioneers went 28-0 in the regular season and 3-0 during the championship tournament.
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