Dantos takes men’s softball title
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and you’re very welcome to this latest edition of Sports Monday. Week three of the RFG Insurance Cup Tournament brought undefeated Wagiya of Dangriga into the M.C.C. Grounds yesterday for an old time shoot-out against archrival Kremandala of Belize City, a team looking to establish its dominance in its second year.
And indeed it’s a powerful start for the host team when Dennis Serrano fires this left foot that beats everybody, only to be denied by the crossbar.
Dangriga immediately responds as Deon Flowers penetrates into the danger zone. And while he thinks he has been fouled by the Krem keeper, Geovanny Rodriguez, a corner kick is all he gets out of it.
We’re only nine minutes in when this spotkick from Aaron Locario is kept alive by Malaki Nolberto to Deon Flowers and the visitors take a 1-zip lead.
Only two minutes later, the equalizer comes for the city team when Peter “Metro” Mariano grounds this ball in front of the goalmouth. Alas Deon Flowers simply miss-times his run forward.
It’s an up and down ballgame people when Edwin Fernandez gets this open look at goal to give Wagiya a 2-zip lead, but he only makes Geovanny Rodriguez look good.
Mariano finds Deon McCauley who fires this right away that certainly creates problems for Griga keeper Newton Lennan and then Kello Leslie slips at the most inopportune time to squander his chance to equalise.
In the meantime, give Trevor Lennan some props for unleashing this wicked header that just inches over the horizontal bar.
Just before the half expires, Edwin Fernandez gets a second chance to shake the net, but again the left foot can’t find the target. At intermission it is still a 1-nil Wagiya lead.
So we go to second half and it’s the fifty-first minute when Nolberto centres this corner. The attempted clearance reaches Edwin Fernandez, and this time his header puts him on to the scoring column as Wagiya increase its lead to 2-zip.
Kremandala then goes to the set piece to get back into the ballgame, but Newton Lennan comes up with a big-time save. It’s Kremandala still pressing off the set piece and Lennan in goal does well to deny Kello Leslie on this particular one-on-one confrontation.
In the meantime, Fernandez might be full of speed, but not converting in an open goal like this could quite relegate him to the bench. Ask the coach.
Nevertheless, the dagger to the Krem team comes when Deon Flowers gets this one-on-one look at Rodriguez, his push is rejected by the Krem defence, but Harrison Tasher is right there to power the loose ball home. Wagiya goes on to post 3-zip bit W and remains undefeated.
In other scores around the league this weekend: in Group A F.C. Belize bombed Benque Viejo United a 1-zip on the road and down south Mango Creek F.C. and Placencia Pirates battled to a 1-1 tie. Over in Group B, Boca burned Juventus 1-nil. Juventus is in the rebuilding mode but nevertheless is still the defending champion. The Calcutta Bulls outlasted San Pedro Seahawks 3-2, and New Site Erei hurt Belmopan United in a 1-zip affair.
Thus after three weeks, the standings look like this: in Group A Wagiya leads with nine points, followed by F.C. Belize with seven, Hankook Verdes show five, Kremandala four, Benque Viejo United three, Placencia Pirates one, and the Cayo Avengers are yet to post a point in this semi-pro football season.
Over in Group B: Calcutta Bulls lead with seven points, BOCA F.C. and New Site Erei both show six apiece, Mango Creek F.C. has stepped up with four points, Belmopan United and San Pedro Seahawks show three points apiece, while Juventus is in the cellar of Group B with a single solitary point.
Turning to the softball scene, let’s head to Roger’s Stadium where the National Male Softball Championships was decided yesterday.
We join the ballgame tied at four runs apiece as Dantos tries to win the 2005 national title against archrival Rookies in the sixth inning, which ends when Ricardo Aguilar gets picked off at second by the Dantos catcher.
At the end of seven innings we’re still tied at four apiece, so we’re off to extra innings. With a runner on second, Rookies pitcher Timothy Mena hits Milton Flores to have two men on.
On this pitch, Mena is victimised by a pass ball, but the runner from second is deemed to have led off for the first out of the inning. Make it two outs when this batter flies to the outfield. Steve then singles to bring home Flores from third as Dantos takes the lead 5-4.
Nevertheless, Rookies go on to win 7-6 to force a final game two with formerly undefeated Dantos. Dantos would still take this year’s title in a 7-4 victory and we say congratulations!
Hey folks, that’s our show for today. We certainly invite you back same place, same time next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
