The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AS the Creter Bulldogs and the Candies Wolverines took the men’s and women’s national titles to Abaco and Grand Bahama respectively, the weekend showdown between the champions from the affiliated island associations in the Bahamas Softball Federation saw the curtain come down on the legacy of its longest serving executive.

Burkett Dorsett, who has served for the past 38 years as a softball executive and the last 27 in the BSF office, said he won’t be seeking another term as president. The BSF will go to the polls in April, 2015 to elect the new slate of officers for the next three years.

Dorsett, whose administration started in 1979 with the New Providence Softball Association and then the Bahamas Government Departmental Softball Association before he was elevated to the BSF office in 1992 as the second vice president, said having served under former presidents inclusive of Neko Grant, Greg Christie and Rommel Knowles, he needs to take a break away from the sport.

From 2008, Dorsett sat in the chair as the president. The nationals, however, brings his second three-year term to an end. In all, Dorsett has contributed six years as president, nine years as a first vice president, three years as second vice president and a director in between.

Looking back at the four days of intense competition, Dorsett said he felt it was very competitive.

“The islands have showed some vast improvement,” he said. “Abaco seemed to be creating a dynasty where those guys feel as if they have a good mixture of youth and experience that can get them to continue the success they’ve had so far, winning the first two men’s titles.

“I was happy to see Eleuthera is back with some young players on that team. But I’m also elated to see that Richard Johnson is putting something back into the sport that he loves so well. He’s managing and playing with the young players and showing them the right way.”

On the ladies’ side, Dorsett said Spanish Wells has come into their own, even though they fell short this time around after losing two close games to the champions Candies Wolverines from Grand Bahama and runners-up Sigma Wildcats from New Providence.

“They are going to be a force to reckon with in the future,” Dorsett said. “But the Grand Bahama team, sponsored by ISF Hall of Famer Candice DeGregory, has shown that they were clearly the better of the teams in the league this year as they won the title over the Wildcats.

“I think the New Providence teams may have been a little bit fatigued with their championships just completed a few days before the start of the nationals. I think if they had a little more time to rest, they might have been able to play a lot better than they did in the championship. But hats off to both Abaco and Grand Bahama, the men and women champions this year.”

• At the completion of the championships on Sunday, the following players were awarded with the individual awards:

Ladies Division

Batting champion - Candice Smith (New Providence) 8-for-10 for a .800 average.

Most hits - Larikah Russell (Grand Bahama) 9

Most runs - Candice Smith (New Providence) 0

Most RBI - Habakak Smith (Abaco) 9

Most strike out - Mary Sweeting (New Providence) 9

Best ERA - Dori Perry (Eleuthera) 0.64

Most wins - Salaika Williams (Grand Bahama) 4

Round Robin MVP - Candice Smith (New Providence)

All-Tournament Team

Pitcher - Salaika Williams (Grand Bahama); catcher - Wandalee Burrows (New Providence); first base - Patricia Duncombe (Grand Bahama); second base - Tesheens Pinder (Grand Bahama); third base - Vantrice Bowleg (New Providence); shortstop - Larikah Russell (Grand Bahama); leftfield - Tamika Dames (Grand Bahama); centerfield - Candice Smith (New Providence); rightfield - Ruth Coakley (New Providence) and utility player - Michelle Pinder (Eleuthera)

Championship MVP - Tesheena Pinder (Grand Bahama)

Men’s Division

Batting champion - Edney Bethel (Eleuthera) 5-for-8 with a .625 average

Most hits - Alcott Forbes (New Providence) 6.

Most runs - Nigel Bootle Jr (Abaco) 5

Most RBI - Andre Gardiner (Eleuthera) 5

Most strike outs - Edney Bethel (Eleuthera) 33

Best ERA - Alcott Forbes (New Providence) 0.47

Most wins - Alcott Forbes (New Providence), Edney Bethel (Eleuthera) and Freddie Cornish (Grand Bahama) two (2) each.

Round Robin MVP - Alcott Forbes (New Providence) 6-for-11 for a .545 average, best ERA 0.47 and most wins with two (2).

All-Tournament team

Pitcher - Alcott Forbes (New Providence); catcher - Lynden Richardson (Grand Bahama); first base - Andre Gardiner (Eleuthera); sevond base - Horatio Green (Eleuthera); third base - Nigel Bootle Jr (Abaco); shortstop - Willard Gardiner (Abaco); left field - Edron Knowles (New Providence); centrefield - Angelo Bethel (Eleuthera); rightfield - William Scott (Andros) and utility player - Angelo Watson (Grand Bahama).

Championship MVP - Lyle Sawyer (Abaco)