The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

A hobbling Keisha Pratt went 3-for-4, sparking an eight-run sixth inning with a run-producing double and Thela Johnson gave up six hits with eight strike outs as the Lady Stingers stunned Grand Bahama’s Lady Wolverines 12-8 to secure the Bahamas Softball Federation ladies’ round robin championship title.

The Lady Stingers continued their first year Cinderella season that began by winning the New Providence Softball Association championship crown last week. But it wasn’t an easy road as they had to bounce back after getting upset by the Abaco Groceries Diamond Dolls in their opening game of the tournament on Thursday night. However, after beating the Lady Wolverines in the round robin, the Lady Stingers lost their rematch in the playoffs on Saturday night.

So it was sweet revenge when it counted the most in the final game of the ladies’ division.

Their match-up came just before the Commando Security Truckers stayed unbeaten as they pulled off a 4-1 win over the 5 Star AG and Turf Bulldogs in the feature game last night for the men’s crown. Thomas Davis was the winning pitcher and Lyle Sawyer was tagged with the loss.

As Lernette Kelly picked up Lady Wolverines’ Tesheena Pinder’s grounder at second and flipped it over to Kelly Smith at first base for the final out in the bottom of the sixth as the game was stopped via the mercy rule, the Lady Stingers began to celebrate for the second time in a week. They just came off their celebrated 3-2 series win over the Johnson’s Lady Truckers on Monday night.

“Hard work and perseverance would win,” said Lady Stingers’ manager Gary ‘Super’ Johnson. “Thela is a horse, a workhorse. She knew she had to carry the load. We didn’t have another pitcher and every night she came out here and gave us a great game. All we asked for is that we get good defence and we got good defence and we hit the ball tonight and we won.”

Good pitching to stop good pitching and getting both the offence and defence from her team-mates were all Thela Johnson needed to help spark the Lady Stingers to another championship feat.

“At first, I was a little off with it, but we came back and we kept fighting and we had a positive attitude,” she said about the victory. “I had a little doubt, but when you have to fight against the umpires too, it makes it even harder. We are only here to play ball and we want it to be fair. Like I told my team-mates, let’s just play Stingers ball. Once we hit and we score, we have to the defence to win it.”

While Keisha Pratt hit her run-producing double to fuel the sixth inning, Lernette Kelly added a RBI single and Nadia Thompson had a RBI ground out as the Stingers batted around the clock to put the game out of reach.

It was a painful experience for Keisha Pratt, who had suffered a torn hamstring injury in her right foot in her second at-bat when she tried to advance to third on a fly ball after she produced a RBI double. She hobbled off the field, got some treatment and after being replaced by Amber Johnson on the defensive end, she came back on the offensive end in the fifth and got a RBI double to plate Thela Johnson, who led off the inning with a double to force the 4-4 tie.

After the Lady Stingers left the bases loaded in the fifth, Keisha Pratt came back in the sixth with her RBI single as the Lady Stingers would go on to score their eight runs to put the game out of reach for the Lady Wolverines.

“That’s what champions do. We fought right to the end. We wanted it that bad,” Pratt said. “Despite a lot of injuries, a lot of us came from the NPSA championship with injuries, but we couldn’t just let Freeport come here and take advantage of us. We just fought right to the end because we knew we had to keep the championship here.”

Still hobbling after the game, Pratt said she can now relax and hopefully get some more treatment because the mission is accomplished. They are the national champions.

The Lady Wolverines rode the 2-for-3 night with a RBI and a run scored from Teshesna Pinder and a 2-for-3 night with a run scored from Latoya Brown. They also got two diving highlight reel defensive plays from second sacker Madison Ficajjio in the third and shortstop Larikah Russell in the fifth respectively. And Salaika Williams gave up 12 hits with a strike out, but manager Sidney Thomas said it just wasn’t enough to get past the Lady Stingers.

“It wasn’t what I expected. For the team we have, they beat us, but it wasn’t the outcome that I expected,” Thomas said. “They are the winners now. They beat us, but the chips didn’t fall the way I expected, but that happens sometimes. We were right there until around the fourth inning when we just collapsed. Our pitcher was a warrior. She pitched all of our games. Their pitcher also pitched all their games and she got the better of us tonight. But it was a very good game.”

Prior to the two championship games last night, the third place games were played.

Ladies’ third -place game

Lady Stingers 10,

Lady Stitchers 4

Tied 4-4 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, Thela Johnson led off with a solo in-the-park home run in a six-run rally as the Lady Stingers pulled away for the win to advance to the championship. The Lady Stitchers ended up with the third place trophy. Lashanda Bethel went 1-for-2 with a RBI and a run scored and Kelly Smith was 1-for-2 with two runs scored in the win for the Lady Stingers. Thela Johnson gave up five hits with two strike outs.

Brandi Perry, who switched from shortstop to the mound in the third inning with her mother Dorian Perry, suffered the loss. Dorian Perry, the starting pitcher, had a perfect 3-for-3 day with three RBIs and both Brandi Perry and Allie Pinder scored two runs for the Lady Stitchers.

Bulldogs 12, Cougars 0

Tyler Russell spun a two-hitter with eight strike outs and he helped his own cause with a 2-for-3 plate appearance with two RBIs to lead the two-time defending champions as they clinched their berth in the final. The Cougars had to settle for third place.

Andrew Albury and Mark Douglas both went 1-for-1 with a RBI and two runs scored and Brandon Sweeting was 1-for-2 with a RBI for the winners. Christopher ‘the Punisher’ Russell was tagged with the loss before he switched with third baseman Johnathan Scott in the second inning.