CitCo takes the trophy in 2010 Inter-Office softball championships

Good evening. I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. Week three of the Caribbean Motors Cup as presented by the B.P.F.L. saw the head on clash between the two Belize City teams as defending champ, the Belize Defence Force made a stand against F.C. Belize inside the M.C.C. Grounds yesterday. However, we must apologize to you fans for missing the opening goal of the match which came in the first minute of play on the dreaded auto goal charged to Christopher Gilharry. So the military looks to double the lead a minute later off this set piece as David Trapp picks out Evan Mariano only to see a successful intervention by goalkeeper Elroy Rawley. On the next press, Kareem Haylock of the B.D.F. attacks the left side. Poor defense gifts the ball to Erwin Flores but Elroy Rawley makes a truly necessary save. F.C. Belize dodges another bullet when Haylock floats to Clifton West whose right foot push screams past the far upright and at the half the B.D.F. boasts a 1-zip lead.

Folks, were nine minutes in when F.C. Belize allows Tyrone Pandy to center this ball into the danger zone. Goalkeeper Rawley mishandles in midair and Erwin Flores takes advantage to give his team a 2-nil lead. However, four minutes later F.C. Belize gets right back into the ballgame with this nice individual effort from Jeromy James that chips off the near post into the net for the 2-1 score. Fresh off the bench Francisco Diaz fires this low cruise missile that creates a problem for Derol Roches which he does overcome. At the other end the military attacks off the left wing with this center from Haylock and believe me people this touch by Elroy Rawley is necessary for the score to remain 2-1. Nevertheless, the B.D.F. continues to surge when Clifton West volleys this ball that is denied only by the far upright. In the meantime, this press that begins with this center from Evan Mariano allows Jerome Serano to fire this vicious left foot bomb which forces Rawley into another finger tip save. Already down a goal, F.C. Belize finds itself also a man down when Harrison Tasher takes down Evan Mariano and is promptly chased off the field by referee Henry. Clifton West then deals to Orlando Jimenez and the striker ties up himself to squander the scoring chance. Nevertheless, the B.D.F. grabs all three points in this match-up with the final 2-1 score.

In other action around the league, Hankook Verdes on the road shook up Georgetown Ibayani 2-1, BRC Blaze held the San Pedro Seadogs to a scoreless draw at the island and Paradise Freedom Fighters use the home field advantage to burn Shanaiah Corozal 1-zip. Thus after three weeks, the B.D.F. and Hankook Verdes are tied in points atop the league with 7 apiece, Georgetown Ibayani and F.C. Belize both show 6 points each, San Pedro shows 4 points, Paradise Freedom Fighters 3, BRC Blaze 1 point while Shanaiah Corozal has yet to gain a point. Week four finds BRC Blaze hosting Paradise Freedom Fighters and san Pedro comes to the M.C.C. Grounds against the B.D.F.  That’s on satruday while on Sunday Georgetown Ibayani travels to Shanaiah Corozal and F.C. Belize will host Hankook Verdes inside the M.C.C. Grounds.

In billiards news, the Belize Billiards Sports Federation’s third annual tournament is set to kick off on the seventh and eighth March at Corozal featuring big, big prizes and trophies for all winners. Contact persons are Otto Cattouse at telephone number 630-8810 and Sea and Glory Corozal at 607-2048.

Turning to the cycling scene, the Weekend Warriors series continued yesterday with a forty mile ride from Rockville to Floral Park and here’s the sprit to the finish line. Andrew Ordonez of Fabrigas has the lead but runs out of legs as Albert Conorquie overtakes to grab the big W.  Geoffrey Waight then rolls in alone for third place. Tom Tillett is also unchallenged for fourth place while Antonio Escarpeta rounds out the top five. Still Ordonez leads the series at this point with 48 points and Albert Conorquie is right on his heels with 43.

Meanwhile, we want to remind you that La Ruta Maya takes center stage this weekend with the canoe race taking off Friday at six a.m. from San Ignacio and is expected to conclude at the Belcan Bridge here in Belize City around noon on Sunday so stay tuned.

In basketball news, the Ballin 4 Life tournament kicks off this Friday inside the City Center with two big time matchups. Game one finds the Belize Bank Bulldogs in action against Hold-on Smart in the junior opener while the senior nightcap finds UB Jaguars in action against Habet Berger Boys. On Sunday Lady Sparks will open female play against Maria Chang Girls and San Pedro Tigersharks take on Belize Bank Bulldogs in the senior nightcap.

Meanwhile folks, the might Inter-Office Basketball season is set to blast off on May seventh. We caught up with Director Ian Mariano who had this to say.

Ian Mariano, Director, Inter-Office Basketball

“We’re having our first meeting this Wednesday in which we’re inviting all teams out. So far we have submitted forty invitations and we’re looking for twenty-four teams. So we’re telling everybody that we’re going to be at the City Center Wednesday evening starting at six p.m. for interested teams to let us start the whole process for Inter-Office Basketball once again. Looking upon the Amandala newspaper, we noticed some comments from Mr. Wagner about the Inter-Office basketball league and some implications were made along the lines of player interference and so forth. What we would like to do at this time is to first of all say that we are disheartened by such a comment and we’re surprised that the reported did not take enough time to research the facts because whereas you want to put out a story,  it’s good for you to know the facts first. We want to say that we have worked very, very closely with the new organization. We support the new senior league. We have done everything in our power to maintain to interoffice.”

Checking in on the Belize City Inter-Office Softball Championships at Rogers Stadium. We join game two in the fifth inning as Belize City Council looks to close the show against MOE/FirstCaribbean Bank after winning game one on Friday with a 25-17 score. We’re in the fifth inning on Saturday when pitcher Brian “Yellowman” Audinett serves up this hit to Lurne Solis who smacks it over the head of Kenya Jones in right field and two runs scored aided by an errant throw to home plate. Obliviously, Yellowman is off his game today because he gives up another run scoring hit; this time to third baseman Joseph Domingo. With a runner on, Earl Noralez then sends this ball to the outfield. Again, it’s over the head of Kenya Jones, another run comes in as MOE/FirstCaribbean goes on to tie the series with 15-8 victory that gives the win to Marco Villanueva.

Which brings us to the rubber match of the series staged yesterday inside Rogers Stadium and it’s Marco Villanueva on the mound for MOE/FirstCaribbean and with a runner at first he gets tattooed by Damine Miles who almost hits a homerun as one run scores. We’re still in the first inning and the bases are loaded for Elbert Neal who belts one to left field to bring in another run. Folks, today Villanueva gets no help from his fielders as Enid Dakers should have been thrown here but she beats the throw. Things take a turn for the worse when Villanueva walks Dedra Jones and yet another scores. The very next batter gets a walk from Marco. So they huddle and the coach decides to pull his ace out of the game. In comes left fielder Mushae McDonald to take over the pitching duties. And guess what, he is greeted by this grand slam homer from Gadsden Ferguson for four more runs. The very next batter Damine Myles crushes a solo homer and with eleven runs scored in the first you know it’s all over as the Belize City Council routes MOE/FirstCaribbean 16-4 in game three as Enid Dakers gets the win. We say congrats to the 2010 Inter-Office Softball champs, the Belize City Council.

Hey folks, that’s our show for today. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.