by Namur Angels, www.namur-angels.be
The Namur Angels suffered another heartbreaking loss as they saw their season come to an end Saturday afternoon. As Sunday’s game was a rainout, and not rescheduled, Saturday proved to be the final game in the Angels rollercoaster season. They fell to the visiting Antwerp Royal Greys 8-7, while securing third place in the Belgian first division.
The Angels jumped out to an early two run lead in the bottom of the first inning. Andreas Lastinger led off with a single up the middle to start the game. An attempted pickoff while at first slipped past the Greys first baseman and Lastinger took second. After the next Angels batter flied out to right, Greg Van Sickler singled, advancing Lastinger to third base. With Williams Rosario at the plate, Van Sickler stole second base. Two pitches later, Rosario laced a single up the middle, scoring Lastinger and advancing Van Sickler to third base. The next batter, Jake Hummel, hit a deep fly ball to right field that scored Van Sickler tagging from third.
In the fifth, the Angels plated another run, as Van Sickler singled to right field to start the inning. With Rosario at the plate, Van Sickler stole second base. Rosario was unable to advance the runner, but with Hummel at the plate, Van Sickler stole third base. Hummel was able to bring the run home and put the Angels up by three runs as he grounded out to second base.
The Greys would answer in the top of the sixth inning. They scored their first run off the bat of Nicky Vlyminckx, who grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, but was able to score Yoni Vischschoonmaker, who led off with a single.
Trailing 3-1 in the seventh inning, the Greys bats came alive, as they exploded for five runs in the frame. They chased Angels starter Adrien Stokart out of the game in the inning. Stokart finished 6.1 innings pitched, giving up five runs on seven hits, walked three, and struck out two. His replacement, Kevin Desmedt, would pitch the final 2.2 innings, giving up four runs on five hits, did not walk a batter, and struck out one. The Greys strong inning featured a two-run home run, a triple, and three singles.
Namur answered back in the bottom of the inning as Lastinger led off with a hit by pitch. After stealing second, Jerome Sana walked. Van Sickler was unable to deliver the big hit, as he flew out to right, unable to advance any runners. Rosario followed with the same. With two outs and runners at first and second base, Hummel hit a double to the left center gap that scored Lastinger.
Behind 6-4 heading into the eighth, the Angels got it back within one run after Cedric Nauts singled to right field. A failed pickoff attempt to first allowed Nauts to advance to second base. After the next two batters fanned, Lastinger delivered a two out single that advanced Nauts to third base. With two outs and Nauts at third, a wild pitch brought home the Angels lone run of the inning. The lead was cut to one heading into the top of the ninth.
In the top of the ninth, the Greys would increase their lead with two insurance runs in the inning. The big blast came off the bat of Jordi Mertens, scoring both Luke Wilkings and Vischschoonmaker, who both reached via hit by pitch.
Trailing 8-5 in the ninth, the Angels would attempt a valiant comeback as Rosario singled to start the inning. Hummel followed with a triple to the left center field fence that scored Rosario. With Hummel at second and no outs, Ludovic Geuquet hit a fly ball to center field, but it was not deep enough to score the run. Cedric Nauts followed with a base on balls and then stole second. With runners at second and third and one out, Tom Gerard grounded out to shortstop, plating Hummel, and advancing Nauts to third base. With the tying run 90 feet away, Kevin Desmedt hit a sharp groundball to shortstop, but the play was made across the diamond, and the Angels felt the heartache of yet another one run loss.
Despite starting the year on a four game winning streak, the Angels would let a close lead in the standings mid season slip away. They found themselves instead scrambling for answers to numerous one run or late game losses. As the Hoboken Pioneers clinched another Division title this year *, Namur struggled down the stretch and settled for third place, just behind the Borgerhout Squirrels. The Angels will look to avenge the late season meltdown in 2013.
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* The Hoboken Pioneers Pioneers were facing the Borgerhout Squirrels in this last series of the 2012 competition.
Entering the week-end with a 1 game lead, the Pioneers only needed one win to clinch a 4th straight title while the Squirrels needed to sweep their opponent to celebrate.Saturday, Borgerhout was making things interesting, winning game 1 on a final score of 4-1, in front of its own fans.
Sunday’s game was nothing less then a season-deciding contest for both teams and the result was a game for the ages.Early on, the host Pioneers was taking the lead, pushing up to 6-0, behind former Mets’ prospect Thomas Dewolf.In the second part of the game, Squirrels fought hard to get back, sending the game into extra innings, despite a good effort by TJ Antonnacci to stop the bleeding.
In the 10th innings, none of the teams was able to score the winning run.In the top of the 11th, Antonacci was replaced by former University of Illinois closer Wes Braun. A lead-off seeing-eye single and a wild pitch allowed the Squirrels to score the potential winning run before Braun was able to close the door on the inning.
Everyone thought that the Pioneers, scoreless since the 5th inning were going to give away their crown to a new champion. However, Yannick Gonthier, who went the distance for Borgerhout, allowed the lead-off Stijn Janssen.The 9th batter, Van Nuffel sacrificed but the throw from theb pitcher to first base sailed into right field putting both runners in scoring position.
The stage was set for veteran Randy Giorgiadis to write another page of a successful career, with a key base-hit to centerfield. Janssen scored the tying run easily while Van Nuffel scored from 2nd base, sliding at home plate ahead of the throw and giving Hoboken a 4th straight Belgian championship.