Mister Baseball

by www.namur-angels.be

The Namur Angels saw their playoff chances slip further when they only managed a split with the last place Borgerhout Squirrels. On Saturday in Borgerhout the Squirrels took advantage of the inability of Namur pitching to find the strike zone to score five runs in the second inning on only one hit en route to a 9-3 victory. On Sunday, Erik Hufnagel’s 13 strikeouts and seven Borgerhout errors ensured a 6-1 Angel triumph.

On Saturday, the Angels’ offense could never really get a rally going, thanks in part to hitting into four double plays that terminated rallies all day long. The Angels also suffered from losing several runners on plays at the plate. The game-changing moment came early however. In the second inning, Angels’ pitching issued five walks and hit an incredible three batters in one inning, the Squirrels chipped in with one hit to record five runs.

The Angels looked to be right on target in responding in the third inning. Adrien Stockart led off and reached on a throwing error. After a strikeout, Ludovic Geuquet dropped down a bunt single to put two aboard. Morgan Brown plated the first run of the day as Stockart came around on a single to center. The inning that had begun with promise ended quickly however as Juny Gressman’s fly ball to center turned into an inning-ending double-play when Geuquet was erased at the plate. Borgerhout got right back to scoring in their half of the inning courtesy of an error, two walks, and three hits to go ahead 7-1.

In the fifth Namur clawed one back as Ronny Heymans led off with a walk. Ludovic Geuquet and Morgan Brown followed with singles to load the bases with nobody out. Namur unfortunately came away with only one run after grounding into a double play and striking out. In the seventh Ludovic Geuquet again singled to lead things off, and for the third consecutive trip through the order, Brown followed with a hit. After two strikeouts failed to advance the runners, they moved up on stolen bases. Hufnagel managed to deliver one with a single to right, but a pop out would strand another runner in scoring position. Borgerhout achieved the final margin in the bottom of the eighth with a two run home run.

Namur finished with a respectable 13 hits (while yielding 10), but the four double plays were crucial. Ludovic Geuquet and Brown each collected four hits, while Hufnagel, and Adrien Geuquet each had two.

On Sunday in Namur, Hufnagel never gave the Squirrels a chance, ending the game by pitching to just four batters over the minimum. He yielded only four hits and walked one, while hitting two, and striking out 13. He picked off a batter, one was retired stealing, and he induced a 1-2-3 double play to escape from a bases loaded situation in the seventh.

Offensively, Namur got on the board in the first frame. Heymans walked and was thrown out at the plate on Brown’s double off the wall in left-center. Brown scooted over to third on the throw and came around one batter later when the second baseman threw away Jerome Sana’s inning-ending grounder. After two singles by Gressman and Adrien Geuquet, Sana too would cross home. In the third Sana would walk, Gressman would single and Adrien Geuquet would sacrifice them over. Ludovic Geuquet plated one with a single while Cedric Nauts’ fielder’s choice brought in the other.

The Angels however would again end the inning with the bases loaded. In the fourth an ugly inning featuring several errors allowed Brown to come home on a throwing error by the shortstop. The final margin was achieved in the seventh when again the Borgerhout defense failed. Philip Van Woensel was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on an errant pick-off throw. He stole third and then came home when the catcher’s attempt to third base was wide and kicked into left field.

On the game Borgerhout committed seven key errors to help the Namur offense. The Angels managed seven hits and seven walks as well.

Yet again Namur finds itself the victim of scheduling with a week off before playing again against the second-place Merksem Royal Greys.

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