31st Women’s Softball Nationals Held in Belize City
Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. Former American Football Athlete, Ronnie Lott once said, “If you can believe it, the mind can achieve it”. This weekend, the Belize Softball Federation hosted the Thirty-First Women’s Softball Nationals. The eight teams that participated in this tournament believed and most definitely achieved. The games began on Friday night. In the first match, Double Head Cabbage blew past San Narciso in a nine runs to one finish. The umpire declared the mercy rule and brought an early end to the game. In the second match, between the E-Kyash Bulldogs and Roaring Creek, the umpire also declared the mercy rule early in the match. The Bulldogs scored thirteen runs in the first inning and would go on to win the match sixteen to one. This was a shocker for fans, as many of them thought that the well-respected Roaring Creek team would have been a more formidable opponent. It was the third game of the night that brought the energy and competitiveness that softball fans enjoy. The defending champions, Beacons took on Camalote Play Tune. Let’s look at the runs scored.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
First, here is an outstanding defensive play by Camalote in the first inning. Beacons’ Mardy Nicholson is on third base. Nicholson with the lead off, the catcher throws to third base, back to the catcher, and it’s a full-fledged game of cat and mouse…. And the fans are on their feet. We are at the bottom of the second inning. Beacons’ Keslyn Lizama is up to bat with a runner on second and another on third. Beacons have two outs. Lizama connects ball to bat on the third pitch and sends the ball spinning on the ground past the third base fielder. Josany Westby makes it home safely, scoring the first run of the match.
Number three, Kristy Terry, is now up to bat. She sends that one flying into the midfield on the first pitch. Outfielder Shanice Williams grabs a hold of the ball for a brief moment, but couldn’t keep it in the mitt. Number fifteen, Lynese Alvarez makes it home safely. That’s a second run in the second inning. At the top of the third inning, Camalote’s Shanice Williams bunts the ball and she is safe at first base. Frances Coye is up to bat. Shadalee Ho pitches the ball and the catcher losses control. Williams steals to second base. Coye hits the ball and it just passes the pitcher. She makes it safely to first base.
Nadine Coye is now up to bat for Camalote with runners on second and third, and two outs. Ho with the pitch. It goes too low for the catcher. Williams sprints to home base and the umpire says she is safe. Nadine Coye comes behind with this massive ground ball hit that passes by second base to send Frances Coye home to tie the game. Beacons would go on to score a third run in the third inning and a fourth run in the fourth inning. The game came down to the top of the fifth inning. Camalote up to bat and this is their last opportunity to either tie the game or take the lead. Frances Coye on third for Camalote, with one out. Ho pitches the ball and it pops up off the mitt of the catcher. Coye sprints from third to home. She dives between Ho’s legs at the plate. Ho gets the ball and tags Coye.
The umpire calls it an out. Beacons celebrate, but Camalote’s coaching staff and fans are not happy with that call. The umpire would uphold the call and Beacons would go on to win the match. It was one of the most controversial calls of the tournament. On Sunday, it was all about the semi-finals. The two Belize City teams, E-Kyash Bulldogs and Beacons, and the two teams from the Cayo District, Roaring Creek and Camalote made it to this round of the tournament. E-Kyash Bulldog and Camalote Play Tunes played the first match of the semi-finals. Here is a quick recap of that match.
We are at the bottom of the third inning for this one folks. Play Tunes is leading the game, eight runs to two. Here is the pitch and the ball is hit by Cindy Joseph into center field, sending the runner on second base all the way to the home plate. That is three runs for the Bulldogs. Now in the seventh and final inning of the match, the game is still at eight runs to two. Two strikes, three ball for Raven Card. That one pops up and the third base fielder is there to secure the first out. Second batter, one strike, the ball is hit to third base. Third base picks it up and throws it across the first base for the second out. Barbara Lanza is up to bat. That’s a pop up ball and an easy catch. Play Tune wins the game and advances to the finals.
This was a huge upset for E-Kyash Bulldogs who came into the semi-finals undefeated and was one of the favorites to win the national tournament. The second match up, the semi-finals between Beacons and Roaring Creek had to be postponed for safety reasons after a torrential downpour transformed the field into a swamp. A new date is yet to be announced. And from softball, we move into some basketball action. The William Dawson Sprite/Digi Basketball Youth Tournament is nearing the playoffs, as the competition heats up. Tonight we highlight the match between City Boyz and Protel BPO.
Protel BPO secures the tip-off, but they are unable to make the basket at the rim. City Boyz with the ball, pass down the right corner at the three point line. Number ten moves into the paint, gets the pass and puts up a step-back jumper for two points. On the other end of the court, Protel BPO throws in the ball. Number four at the free throw line with the hot hands for a three-point basket. Number seven for City Boyz in control of the ball. He drives past three defenders and goes up at the rim. That’s an easy looking two points. Here he is again on the fast break, takes the opening on the baseline and puts up the layup while slapping the backboard. Here are some excellent ball movements in the second quarter by City Boyz to secure a basket.
On the other end of the court, Protel BPO comes alive with this three-pointer from deep. Number six for Protel misses the layup, his teammate gets the rebound, passes right back to him and that’s a free layup. City Boyz would continue to dominate the third and fourth quarters. They won the game forty-one to thirty-six baskets.
Finally we would like to recognize volleyball athletes, Edgar Martinez and Gabriel Nuñez. They represented Belize in the Twenty-First Central American Beach Volleyball Championship in Guatemala City. Unfortunately, team Belize did not medal in this tournament
Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.
