by Namur-Angels, www.namur-angels.be
Game 1
The Merchtem Cats came to town Saturday to square off against the Angels. Namur sent Nicolas Migeot to the mound to keep the Merchtem bats at bay in a game that would not disappoint those in attendance.
After an uneventful first inning the Cats would push a run across. After a leadoff walk to Kristof Vandroogenbroeck, and a wild pitch, Geert Cleymans singled in the first run of the game. Migeot would get out of the jam only allowing one run.
The Cats were back at it in the third inning with some two out magic. Tim Van Lierde singled to start things off. The next batter reached on error by Florentin Goyens, which was followed up by a hit batsman. Geert Cleymans singled in another run to give the Cats a 2-0 lead. After a passed ball and another run the Angels found themselves in an early 3-0 hole.
The Angels would get some help in the fourth as Ludovic Geuquet, who had previously walked, scored on an error to pull the Angels within two. The Cats answered right back in the fifth by pushing one across to extend the lead back at three.
The Angels offense would answer in the bottom of the frame as Todd Emr got things started with a walk. Brian Hurld followed with a single and Ludovic Geuquet reached via the base on balls. Victor Gerard then singled in Emr but that would be all the Angels could muster as Hurld was thrown out at home when a pitch squirted away from the catcher. After five the Angels were down 4-2.
Namur found themselves down 5-2 going into the bottom of the seventh. Brian Hurld led the inning off with a single and later scored on a single by Edouard Van Heer to pull the Angels within two. The late inning rally continued in the eighth when Hurld knocked in Thomas Vandenabeele on a single. Pinch runner Matthieu Deltombe scored from second on a deep triple by Jerome Sana to even things up at 5-5.
In the bottom of the ninth the Angels would complete the late inning comeback with some heroics from their young second baseman, Florentin Goyens. Cedric Nauts reached base to lead the inning off and went on to steal second. With one out and the winning run one hundred and eighty feet away, Goyens singled to right and Nauts beat the throw home to give the Angels the thrilling 6-5 victory. Nauts also picked up the win in relief.
Game 2
On Sunday the Namur Angels were looking to complete a weekend sweep that has been so elusive recently. They sent Brian Hurld to the mound with the hopes of securing win number eighteen on the season. Unfortunately, things would get off to a shaky start.
In the bottom of the first the Cats took advantage of some bad defense as they pushed two run across. Yet again the Angels were down but not out.
We fast forward to the sixth inning where the Angels offense woke up to tie the score. After a walk, an error, and a fielder’s choice Jerome Sana hit a double deep in the right center gap that plated Todd Emr from second and Brian Hurld all the way from first. After six the score was tied at two apiece.
The offense was back at it in the eighth inning as Hurld doubled in Emr to put the Angels on top for good. In the ninth Hurld helped his own cause again by singling in two more to give the Angels the 5-2 lead. He would head back to the mound to finish the complete game three hitter by sitting the Cats down in order in the bottom of the ninth. The final score was 5-2 in favor of the Angels who enter a week long break riding a two game winning streak.
{mrb-result:2009-07-18|2009-07-19|BE}
{mrb-standing:belgium-2009}
Photo: © Frédéric de Laminne, www.event-pics.be