by Namur-Angels.be

Thanks to the results in other league matches over the weekend, the NAMUR ANGELS have clinched a spot in the top 6 of the Belgian First Division and thus the right to contest the Belgian Championship over the remainder of the season. The ANGELS didn?t qualify in the manner that they would have wished as they dropped a game to the MERCHTEM CATS that would have clinched a spot, instead they needed to wait to hear the results of the MERKSEM vs. BORGERHOUT game.

After a heavy downpour forced the cancellation of the Saturday edition of the series in Namur, the two sides met again on Sunday at the brand new field in Merchtem under much improved weather conditions. It would not be NAMUR?s day however.

NAMUR jumped on top for their only run of the day in the first inning. Leadoff man Caleb Calarco was drilled in the back and Philip Van Woensel sacrificed him to second base before Morgan Brown banged the first offering to left field to drive in Calarco, After a groundout Nicolas Migeot roped a single to left that was hit so hard that Brown was held at third and Migeot was cut down at second trying to move up on the MERCHTEM relay throw to the plate.

MERCHTEM answered right back in the bottom of the first. With one out Geert Clymans worked a walk and moved to third on a hit by Nicholas Pardickes before coming home on a groundout to second base. NAMUR would come right back and get its first two runners on base in the second with Ronny Heymans working a walk and Ludovic Geuquet knocking a single to left. Unfortunately the ANGELS couldn?t execute a sacrifice to move the runners along and the inning ultimately stalled.

In the bottom of the third, MERCHTEM took advantage of several defensive miscues from the NAMUR defense. Two routine double-play grounders to the right side were booted and no outs recorded as MERCHTEM pushed across the eventual winning run.

In the fifth NAMUR threatened again with Adrien Stockart leading off with a single and moving to third two outs later on a single to center from Brown. In the inning all three NAMUR outs were recorded by the MERCHTEM center fielder as NAMUR was victimized all day by the ?at-?em? ball as line-drives routinely found their way to the CATS? gloves.

The bottom of the inning gave MERCHTEM the final margin as another walk proved the catalyst as the CATS managed to score sandwiched between several strikeouts.

In the eighth the ANGELS came back once again to apply pressure following a one out single from Brown followed by another by Juny Gressman. After a fielder?s choice erased Gressman, Migeot stole second to put the tying run in scoring position, but another chance went by the boards with a groundout to end the inning. The ninth inning saw a pair of ANGELS on base as well, but a high drive from Van Woensel to center was hauled in to end the game.

The ANGELS out hit the CATS, 8 to 6, but the CATS were opportunistic and took advantage of several NAMUR fielding errors and walks and managed to capitalize.

NAMUR was led by Brown with three hits, while Pardickes collected half of MERCHTEM?s total.