This Weekend’s Sports in Review

Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life”. That is a quote from Legendary Boxer, Muhammad Ali.

First for tonight, we take a look at the Belize City Softball Association’s Fast Pitch Softball tournament. Two games were played on Friday night inside the Rogers Stadium. The first was a women’s match between teams Beacon and Wolfpack. We are on top of the first inning of the match. Beacon is fielding and Wolfpack is up to bat. In that inning, Beacon struck out three of four batters. Only one batter made it to second base but never made it home. At the bottom of the first, Beacons are up to bat. They also finished that round without making any runs. Now at the top of the second inning, Kenesha Coe is up to bat for Wolfpack.

There is the pitch, and that is a strike. Coe goes for the bunt, the ball goes up and that’s an easy out for Beacon’s catcher. Coe’s teammates would suffer similar fates in that inning. They made no runs. At the bottom of the second, Beacon’s batter hits the ball to directly to the third base fielder who stop it and throws to first base. First base misses the ball. A second error puts the batter on third base. Ball is pitched.  The catcher missed the ball and the runner on third base makes good of that opportunity for the first run of the match. At the top of the third, team Beacon once again held off Wolfpack from making any runs. We are now in the bottom of the third inning, with two down and one to go, and the game at one to zero in favor of Beacon, number twenty-two Rebecca Nicholson connected a massive hit down the left and makes it safe to second base.

Sherlene Humphreys also with a hit down the left field, sending Nicholson home for a second run. Jasony Westby connected and sent the ball down the right field, sending Humphreys home for a third run. Another hit and the second base fielder was unable to hold that one. Number twelve Brenda Gabourel with the crafty bunt that sent her to first base. Bases are loaded. Kala Henry sent that one flying across the left field mid field  and that is one, two, three more runs added to the score board for Beacon. Henry would make it home to put Beacon up by seven points at the end of that inning. That match ended ten points to one in favor of Beacon.

The second match of the night was between two male teams, Guardian and Wolfpack. Team Guardian features retired basketball player Steven “Muerte” Williams who is now focusing his energies on softball. Wolfpack is up first to bat. With a runner on third, number ten sent the ball to first base. The fielder fumbled the ball. That is one run for Wolfpack. Again runner on third, the pitcher sent the ball flying over the catcher’s head and Wolfpack makes good on that for a second run. At the bottom of the first, Wolfpack’s pitcher struck out three batters back to back, sending them back to the dugout and wrapping up the inning. We are now at the top of the second inning. The ball is pitched and the catcher attempted to stop the steal on second. That play costs the Guardians another run. Here is a beautiful play from the Guardians that secures them two outs in one sweep.

At the bottom of the second, Steven Williams on third base goes in for his team’s first run after a bad pitch. This is the top of the fourth inning. A runner is on third base, the ball is hit into the midfield sending in yet another run for Wolfpack as they lead this match. And this Wolfpack run was made because of miscommunication. Guardians thought the inning was over when they were actually playing for one more out. The game is now five runs to one in favor of Wolfpack at the top of the fifth inning. With a runner on second for Wolfpack, the ball is hit across the left field, resulting in a sixth run for Wolfpack. At the bottom of the sixth inning, as you have seen, Guardians have been trailing the entire game. Here they were able to bring in a much needed run and place a runner on third base. With a bad pitch, that third base runner makes it home safe for another run.

We are now in the seventh and final inning Wolfpack has a runner on third, the ball makes it into the left field from that hit, securing a seventh run for Wolfpack. Down by four runs, it is now do or die for team Guardian. They must make at least four runs to send the game into extra innings. Fatigue seemed to be setting in on Wolfpack’s pitcher as he sends two players walking to first base. Runners on second and third, the ball is hit and it lands in near second base. A fourth runner makes it home for Guardian. Wolfpack decided that it was time to change their pitcher at this late point in the game. Bases are loaded. That’s the fourth foul ball and the third base runner gets a free ride home. The match now stands at seven to five runs with bases still loaded.

That’s a fourth foul ball from the pitcher to the batter, securing another free ride home for the Guardian. Williams sent the ball flying across the field. That one was caught but the hit resulted in a seventh run to tie the match at seven a piece. The catcher lost sight of the pitch and the runner makes it home safe for Guardian’s eight and final run and there goes Spiderman. That match ended eight to seven runs in favor of team Guardian.

Moving on now to some basketball action. The William Dawson Sprite-Digi Youth Basketball Tournament 2023 continued over the weekend on the Yabra Greens in Belize City. One of the highlight match ups of the day was between team Police and Port Loyola Titans. The starting whistle is blown. Team police in possession of the ball and that is the first turnover of the match.  On the other end, Titans go in for the drive. The referee calls a foul. The first free throw is good, as well as the second. Team Police in possession, a pass on the outside, the hesitation and pass below the rim. Number one fails to get it out and that results in another turnover and a basket on the fastbreak.

Here is number ten for team Police on the fastbreak. He misses the layup. The first and second attempts at put back failed. Titans secured possession, but their player tripped. Police once again regained the ball, made the layup and drew the foul. Number seven for team Police with the ball inside the arch, dribbled through two defenders and banked the layup. In the second quarter, here is a strong move from number five for the Titans, as he cleaned up a missed layup from his teammate. Number seven drives in the ball, missed, but his teammate is right there to finish the play. Police lost their composure here which resulted in a quick thrown in for their opponents and a dunk on the other end of the court.

Team police with the ball, number twelve goes in strong for a power move to bank the layup. At half time, team Police lead the game with eighteen points to Titan’s fifteen points. By the end of the third quarter, Titans had the lead with twenty-nine points to team Police’s twenty-two points. That means Titans outscored Police fourteen to four baskets in the third.  In the fourth and final quarter, team Police came out to set the pace from the start. Number twelve with the drive and the acrobatic layup. A turnover is forced on this play. Number ten for Police puts up a Hail Mary and that one is good. On this play, number ten missed the layup. His teammate rebounds, goes up and missed also. Number ten gets the rebound, shoots and falls short. Number twelve with the rebound, lays it up and draws the foul.

 That match ended thirty-six to thirty-three in favor of team Police.

Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Until next time, have a good one.