The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Katty Boutique Katz clearly didn’t want to relive the memory of losing another Bahamas Softball Federation women’s national championship title to another New Providence team.

After falling victim to the Proper Care Pool Lady Sharks in Andros last year, manager Sidney Thomas and his Katz returned to the tournament as the Grand Bahama champions, going undefeated in the round robin before they held off the highly spirited Gilly’s Girls from Spanish Wells 10-8 in the bronze medal game.

The Katz, who dropped a 7-3 decision to the Bommer G Lady Operators in the last of their three head-to-head match-ups on Saturday night to decide the top team in the championship, came back on Sunday and pulled off a 6-3 decision to finally secure the coveted national title.

Second basewoman Tarah Evans broke up a 3-3 tie in the top of the eighth inning when she had a run producing double to knock in Ranica Russell, who was placed on second with the International Softball Federation’s tie breaking rule. Evans eventually scored on an error and after Larikah Russell got hit by a pitch, she later scored the final run on a wild pitch.

Carolyn Laing, the Katz workhorse pitcher, got to hold the Lady Operators at bay in the bottom of the extra inning after Helena Curry, pinch running for Christine Edmonds (who was awarded second base on the ISF tie breaker rule), was left stranded at third.

The Katty Boutiques completed the game with a double play as their celebrations began.

“This is really a good feeling because we were here last year and we were supposed to win the tournament, but we came a little short,” Thomas said. “I made a promise that we would be back here with the same team and I will take the title. These girls played hard. I only had one pitcher to work with and the girls rallied around her.”

Laing, the tournament’s best pitcher, was working on a five-hit shut out in the championship game against the Lady Operators with her Katty’s Boutique leading 2-0 going into the bottom of the sixth.

That’s when Lathera Brown got on with a two-base error, stole third and finally got Bommer G on the scoreboard on Christine Edmonds’ RBI single for a 2-1 deficit.

Lorna Maxis opened the seventh with a single and after Laing helped her cause with another one, Breshante Dareus came though with a one-out RBI single to plate Maxis as the Katz pushed their lead to 3-1 as they got to Bommer G’s ace pitcher Desiree Coakley.

However, the Lady Operators were not done yet. They came back in the bottom of the frame with Agatha Butler leading off with a double. With two-out, she scored on Tyriece Curry’s RBI single. Then Neressa Seymour knocked in Curry with the game tying run at 3-3, forcing the extra inning.

Laing, securing the win on eight hits with one strike out over Coakley (eight hits as well with two strike outs), couldn’t describe how she felt after the win.

“Last year we were so close and we lost in Andros. This year, we came here and we didn’t want to go through that again. So we just had to win,” she said. “It was tough. I knew, I am a fighter and I had it in me, so I just had to be strong enough for the team. There was a time that I was doubtful, but after we got the runs in the eighth inning, I knew we would have pulled it off.”

Versatile shortstop Larikah Russell, the MVP for the round robin, said through all of the adversities they encountered, they played like true champions.

“I’m just excited for the win. Anytime we play a team from New Providence, we know it’s going to be pretty intense,” she said. “I’m proud of my girls for sticking in there and getting the win. We got the job done. Now we can celebrate.”

The Lady Operators, on the other hand, had to face the agony of defeat and for manager Mario Ford, it was certainly a bitter pill to swallow.

“We left too many runners on base and we didn’t score in the early innings when we had the opportunities,” he said. “It’s disappointing, but we will regroup and we will do the things that we need to do. Defense always wins championships and the team that makes the least mistakes is the team that will come out on top.”

Katz 10, Gilly’s Girls 8

Larikah Russell walked three times, got on with an error as well and scored all four times to lead the Katty’s Boutique, who scored six runs in the top of the first as they batted around the clock and scored twice in the second and fourth before they added their final run in the seventh to secure Grand Bahama’s berth into the championship game.

Spanish Wells came through with all of their eight runs in the fourth inning, but it wasn’t enough as Carolyn Laing held on for the win. Dorian Pinder was the loser.

Brandi Perez had a two-run triple, scoring a run, Cindy Sweeting had a two-run single, scoring a run and Gina Roberts had a RBI single, scoring a run for the Gilly’s Girls in the loss.

The Katty’s Boutique beat Bommer G 21-4 and 13-3 in their first two meetings during the round robin. But in their third encounter on Saturday night, the Lady Operators got revenge with a 7-3 decision to clinch their berth in the championship game.

The Katz, however, had the last laugh as they celebrated on Sunday with the 6-3 win as the new women’s national champions.