by Henry Perkins, www.namur-angels.be
On Saturday the Namur Angels took the opener of the weekend series against the Brasschaat Braves. The home victory marked the Angels sixth consecutive win and moved their league record to 6-1.
The Angels found themselves in an early hole when the Braves plated the first run of the afternoon in the top of the second inning. Brasschaat center fielder Sim Ruts led the frame off with a single to center field. A botched run down following a pickoff attempt by Angels’ lefty Harold Gerard allowed Ruts to move second with one out. The next Brasschaat batter, right fielder Hans Heyrman, picked up an RBI on a single up the middle that brought Ruts around from second. This would be the only run relinquished by the Angels on the afternoon, but at the time the Namur squad found themselves trailing 1-0.
The Braves didn’t hold the lead for long as the Angels erased the deficit and leveled the score at one in the bottom of the third. The contest remained locked at one until the bottom of the fifth when Namur moved into the lead as Braves’ starting pitcher Brian Sewell lost his stride. Angels’ first baseman Thomas Vandenabeele led the inning off with a single into left that was misplayed in the outfield allowing Vandenabeele to take second. The next two batters, Philip Van Woensel and Ronny Heymans, reached on a walk and a hit by pitch respectively, which loaded the bases with still no outs. Angels’ shortstop Henry Perkins then walked, forcing Vandenabeele home and giving Namur their first lead of the game.
This base on balls marked the end of the afternoon for hurler Brian Sewell and his replacement Tacco Van Den Heuvel allowed two more runs in the inning, spurred by an error at third and another HBP. When the fifth inning came to a close the Angels had taken a 4-1 lead. This three-run differential would remain strong until the close of the game as Angels’ reliever Nicolas Migeot put the final out in the books on a come-backer to the mound.
Angels’ starter Harold Gerard took the win, working seven full innings and striking out ten, and closer Nicolas Migeot was credited with the save after pitching the eighth and ninth innings. Brian Sewell took the loss for the Braves, lasting 4 plus innings on the day, striking out three.
Offensively the Angels recorded just six hits, each by a different batter. Despite the poor offensive showing, Namur “one upped” Brasschaat on the day as the Braves had five hits in the game with Sim Ruts and Hans Heyrman each notching a pair of singles.
The Angels continued their winning ways on Sunday in Brasschaat, putting forth a solid all around effort to extend their unbeaten streak to seven. Supported by strong pitching and defense, the Angels jumped out to an early lead on the afternoon and steadily added on more runs as the game progressed in their second victory of the weekend.
Right fielder Nicolas Migeot got things started in the top of the first with one out by stroking a single to center field. Henry Perkins followed suit with a single of his own and after a fielder’s choice the Angels had runners on first and third with two outs. Back to back two out hits, a single by Jerome Sana and a double by Vincent King, plated three runs before the inning ended and the Angels took a 3-0 lead.
The Braves contested the Angels early lead when shortstop Randy Giorgiadis belted a solo homerun over the left field fence, cutting Namur’s lead to 3-1. Any attempt for a Braves comeback was all but extinguished when the Angels added on four more runs in the top of the fifth on six hits, highlighted by a two out, two run single by catcher Victor Gerard.
After the Braves added another run in the bottom of the sixth the score stood at 7-2. Angels’ shortstop Henry Perkins added a little insurance in the top of the ninth with a two run home run that pushed the Namur lead to 9-2, which after a quick bottom half of the inning was the game’s final score.
Angels’ starter Zachary Potter picked up the win in seven innings of work, striking out five and allowing only two runs. Henry Perkins struck out three and walked one in the game’s final two frames. Brasschaat’s pitcher, Yannick Sel, took the loss recording three strike outs in four plus innings.
Offensively the Angels had a big day, pounding out 15 total hits. Leading the assault were Perkins and Migeot whom each had three hits on the day. The Braves were led by Randy Giorgiadis at the plate, who had two hits and two runs scored in the game.
{mrb-result:2009-05-09|2009-05-10|BE}
{mrb-standing:belgium-2009}