by Henry Perkins, www.namur-angels.be
The Namur Angels played just one game last weekend, squaring off against the Squirrels in Borgerhout on Sunday. The single game marked the conclusion of a two game series; the first of which was played in May.
On a day when the Namur bats were very lackluster, the Angels did manage to score on their first trip to the dish. Leadoff man Thomas Vandenabeele started things for Namur with a leadoff walk in the top of the first. After a strike out, shortstop Henry Perkins stepped to the plate with one out and gapped a double to left center, which allowed Vandenabeele to come around from first to score. Perkins was ultimately stranded at second; the Angels had trouble getting in runners from scoring position the entire afternoon, and after the top half of the first Namur led 1-0.
The Squirrels answered quickly in the bottom of the first as their leadoff man, Lorenzo Oeyen, singled and then stole second. Oeyen advanced to third on a drag bunt base hit by Alain Meseure and then scored on a sac fly lifted into to center by Leon Lewis. After the first complete inning the score stood at one all.
The scoring subsided for both teams until the bottom of the sixth when Borgerhout’s bats heated up again. Angels’ starting pitcher Nicolas Migeot retired the first two batters of the inning before shortstop Alberto Valerio stepped into the batter’s box. Valerio blasted a Migeot fastball over the left field fence and broke the tie. The Squirrels thrived on the momentum of the home run and the next batter in the inning, Ben Ludowika, stroked a double down the third base line. A Kevin Vervloet double to right then plated Ludowika. At the close of the sixth inning the Squirrels had taken a 3-1 lead over the Angels.
Trailing by two the Angels’ lineup continued to struggle and the Squirrels added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, making the final score 4-1.
Nicolas Migeot took the loss for the Angels, working eight full innings and allowing three runs. Borgerhout’s starter Yannick Gontier got the win after five innings pitched and just one run allowed.
Offensively the Angels only tallied three hits on the entire afternoon, but Henry Perkins did reach base in all of his plate appearances with one hit and three walks. The Squirrels’ offense was centered around Alberto Valerio, who had two hits on the day, a home run and a double.
{mrb-result:2009-06-20|2009-06-21|BE}
{mrb-standing:belgium-2009}