by Christopher Dassy, head coach of the Namur Angels
Game Three Belgian Series: (0-3) Hoboken Pioneers – Port of Antwerp Greys 1-6
On Sunday the 12th in Hoboken, the Pioneers were hosting their Antwerp rivals for the second time in the best-of-five series, hoping to live another week.
Despite the injury surrendered on Saturday, Brett Diamond, was getting the ball for the home team.
He was facing Dan Howard, the winner of game one after a stunning one-hit performance.
The pitching duel that was already expected in game one and two finally took place.
Diamond limited the Greys to four hits through six innings, allowing no run, with the help of the defense, finally playing a flawless game.
Howard, on the other hand was just rolling over the Pioneers’ lineup, perfect through five innings.
In the sixth, Ribbens reached on a two-out walk to become the Pioneers’ first base runner of the day before D’Oliveira broke the no-hit bid on a perfectly placed ball in the infield. DeLannoy, struck out for the third straight time, stranding both.
In the seventh, Hoboken threatened again thanks to walks to Kenis and Timmermans but Howard punched out Lauwers to end the inning.
Offensively, Port of Antwerp put runners in scoring positions in the first, second and sixth innings without making anything happen. In the seventh though, Dave Herssens, started things off with a double to right field, followed by Nick Vanthillo who received a free pass and catcher Kevin Roevens with an infield hit to load the bases.
Leadoff hitter Vandermeiren then broke the game open with a bases clearing triple (0-3).
Diamond was done for the day and veteran Tom Lorrentop came in to end the bleeding. And he did, recording three quick outs.
In the eighth, perennial “big game hitter” Rosiers lifted a pitch over the left field fence for a leadoff homerun before Lorrentop retired three of the four next hitters (0-4).
In the ninth inning, a leadoff walk to Vandermeiren and a two-run homerun from clean-up hitter Knollenburg capped the scoring for the Greys who needed to record only three outs to begin the celebrations.
DeLannoy reached base on a base-hit before going to second base on the wild throw from shortstop Bryon Bell. DeQuint grounded out to Vandermeiren for the first out moving DeLannoy to third base. DeLannoy scored on a wild pitch to bring the mark to 1-6.
Kenis hit a double to left field before Vandenbranden hit a flyball to left for the second out.
Timmermans kept the series alive with a base hit but was forced out at second on a groundball by Lauwers.
Howard was lights out in the series allowing just two runs on four hits, with 27 punch-outs in 18 innings.
Offensively, if we take away the slugfest from Saturday, the top four hitters of each team were pretty quiet but the difference was made by the bottom of the Greys’ lineup. Hitters’ six to nine reached base eight times in twelve trips to the plate.
Herssens, the Greys’ seventh hitter was the top offensive player in the Belgian Series, with three hits in game one, a grand slam in game two and two hits and the go-ahead run in the final game.
The Greys did it again. Not only they won their fourth straight championship but they left no chance to their opponent. They will represent Belgium next April in the A-Pool of the European Cup.
The Pioneers, who just signed Mortsel’s third baseman Johnny Peerens, will have to wait to dethrone their rivals for another but if they can keep their two Belgian starters, they will certainly have another shot at it in 2009.
Results:
Hoboken Pioneers – Port of Antwerp Greys 0-5 Recap
Port of Antwerp Greys – Hoboken Pioneers 14-7 Recap
Hoboken Pioneers – Port of Antwerp Greys 1-6
(Greys win Series 3-0)
