Belize Rural Softball Championship Showdown
Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. Author and fitness coach, Fred Devito once said, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you”. Over the weekend, Belize rural held its 2023 Women Softball Championship, a challenge that saw the top four teams in the area go head to head. It all began on Friday night in Sand Hill Village when Lord’s Bank took to the pitch to face off against Double Head Cabbage. Fans were out in numbers cheering on their teams. The two-hour delay did not deter them from staying to watch the games.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Lords Bank is batting at the top of the second inning. Anna Vaccaro hits the ball to the short stop. Georgia Carr makes it home from third base to secure her team’s first run. Omercia Swift also makes it home and an error by the first base fielder puts Vaccaro at second base. Bases are loaded at the bottom of the second inning with no outs. Double Head Cabbage, down by two, has an opportunity to take the lead. Number eleven Georgia Joseph strikes out Trecia Ferguson hits the ball directly to the short stop. That’s two downs. Number five is their last hope to capitalize on the loaded bases in this inning, but she also strikes out.
With runners on first and second at the bottom of the third, Deanah Tun is up to bat for Double Head Cabbage. Tun hits a ground ball along the left field, sending her teammate Denise Cassasola to the home base. That’s the first run for DHC. At the top of the fourth inning, Lord’s Bank would secure two more runs. Those runs were Seventeen Shantell Longsworth. And number twenty-one Vaccaro. Lord’s Bank went on to win the game with an additional two runs at the top of the sixth inning. That one ended six to four runs. Also that night, Sand Hill took on Ladyville. Sand Hill won their match. The action continued on Sunday afternoon. Here is the match between the two winning teams from Friday night. It is Sand Hill versus Lord’s Bank. The winner of the match will go on to secure a spot in the finals.
Sand Hill is batting at the top of the third inning with three runs on the score board. That’s a fourth run for the home team. Number sixteen for Sand Hill up to bat. She sends that one flying into the left field, sending in another run for Sand Hill. That puts the match at five runs to two. Off the pitch, Richards makes a dash for home base. She almost tramples the pitcher, but the umpire calls it an out. At the top of the fourth inning, Sand Hill’s Francis Moralez is batting. She sends the ball flying pass the third base fielder. Ofelia Morales makes it home safely. The back stop makes a quick throw to second base. Multiple errors there also send Meghan Young home. Down by six point at the bottom of fifth inning, Lord’s Bank Rossie Carr finds an opening through the center field for a much needed home run to boost the spirit of teammates.
Sand Hill would go on to score two additional runs at the top of the sixth inning, earning them a total of ten runs to their opponents’ three, leaving the umpire no choice but to declare the mercy rule. Sand Hill was declared the victor and they secured their spots in the finals. It was then down to Double Head Cabbage and Lord’s Bank to see which of the two teams would make it to the finals to face off against the dominant Sand Hill. Well, After sixth innings the mercy rule was also declared, as Double Head Cabbage secured twelve runs while Lord’s Bank was only able to bring home three runners.
So here we are, the sun has set and the final match of this tournament is under way, Double Head Cabbage versus Sand Hill. Francis Moralez up to bat for Sand Hill with runners on third and second, Moralez hits the ball into the center field. Ofeliah Moralez sprints to the home base and makes it there safe. And, a second run for Sand Hill in this first inning as Meagan Young comes in. Bases are loaded at the bottom of the third. Double Head Cabbage is trailing by two points with two downs in the inning. Catherine Raburn is batting. She has two strikes. Rhaburn connects but the ball gets to first base before she does. That’s three downs and lost opportunity to take the lead for Double Head Cabbage.
On the other hand, the runs just kept coming in for Sand Hill. Number eleven Ofeliah Moralez makes it home in the fifth inning. An additional three runs in the sixth inning. And another three in the seventh, gave Sand Hill the victory over Double Head Cabbage to claim the title of Belize Rural Softball Champions 2023. This weekend, both Sand Hill and Double Head Cabbage will be representing Belize Rural in the Thirty-First Women’s Softball Nationals inside the Roger’s Stadium.
And now for some cycling action, the second running of the Baby Chav Fundraiser Cycling Race was held on Sunday. The thirty-mile race began in San Ignacio and took riders through the Caracol Road and back into San Ignacio. Oscar Quiroz dominated the race, winning thirteen of the seventeen station prizes. He also took the top spot as the first rider to finish the race. The Kevin Bernard Under-Fifteen Mundialito also came to a close on Sunday. Team U.S.A won the tournament while team Japan finished in second place. Playoffs MVP went to Hadid Torres of Team USA. The Regular Season MVP went to Keizar Rodney of team Japan. The third place trophy went to team Colombia.
Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.
