The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Johnson’s Lady Truckers celebrated another New Providence Softball Association ladies’ championship title, this time sweeping the Sunshine Auto Lady Wildcats in three straight games at the Banker’s Field over the weekend.

The NPSA had to resort to decreasing their championship series to a best-of-five series because there are no lights at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex as a result of the damage left behind by Hurricane Matthew.

The move may have worked for the Lady Truckers, who got a sterling performance from ace Marvelle Miller, who pitched all three games on Saturday and Sunday.

After coming from behind to win the first two games 5-3 and 12-11 respectively, Johnson’s Truckers held off a late rally by Sunshine Auto in the bottom of the seventh just before it got too dark.

Miller, the leading candidate for the most valuable player, also had the play of the series when she tagged out pinch runner Shavonne Dames on an attempted steal at home plate on the passed ball by catcher Crystal Taylor to secure the sweep and begin the celebrations.

“All I can do is give thanks to God. It’s him who got us this far. Without him, I couldn’t do it,” said Miller during the champagne popping. “I’m just so proud of my girls. Right now, I’m just so emotional and elated. I don’t know what to say, except thanks be to God for getting us this far.”

After her pitch got away from Taylor, Miller said she didn’t expect for Dames to try the steal. But after she saw her going home, she decided to cover the plate and the rest was history.

“That’s just how it is,” she said as they now prepare for the Bahamas Softball Federation’s National Round Robin Tournament in two weeks. “We are going to regroup. Practice as a team and we will come back and win the title.”                                                            

For now, they are going to enjoy the victory.

“It was a hard fought series. The girls really came together when we needed. We limited our mistakes, we hit the cover of the ball when we needed too and once they stay together, I think they will win a lot more championships,” said coach Darren Bowleg.

“We’re looking forward to the round robin. Hopefully we can keep this momentum, keep hitting the ball the way we did and we will have a great round robin.”

One of the Lady Truckers, who had a great series was right fielder Theola Johnson. Her timely hits in each game made a big difference.

“This one feels very good. It’s time to celebrate,” Johnson said. “We were all on the same level and we played for it and we made it happen.”

Nobody was more thrilled by the team’s accomplishment than sponsor Sherman Johnson.

“I feel great, but I really didn’t want to beat my cousin Sonny (sponsor for Sunshine Auto). I really wanted to beat Bommer (sponsor for the Bommer G Lady Operators),” he said. “This is my second time winning the championship, so I give God thanks.”

The Lady Truckers a couple years ago under manager Mario Ford, but it was more shocking to see the way the Lady Wildcats, a perennial champions in the league, were eliminated.

“We gave up runs and we were not hitting,” she said. “They just played ball. They came from behind and beast us twice. We had it, but I don’t know what went wrong,” said Chryshan Percentie, who returned to the veteran line-up this year after playing against them last year. “In no series we got sweep or lost a game after leading the way we did in the first two games. I guess they have the younger players and they were determined to beat the Wildcats.”

Lady Truckers 13, Lady Wildcats 7: In the series clincher on Sunday, Johnson’s exploded for a big six-run sixth inning to increase their lead to 10-4 and they managed to hold of the late surge by Sunshine Auto.

Marvelle Miller helped her own cause by going 3-for-4 with five runs batted in (RBI) and scored twice, one accounted to pinch runner Shaquelle Smith. Theota Johnson also went 3-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored. Crystal Taylor was 2-for-3 with a RBI and two runs scored and Shevette Taylor had one hit with a RBI and a run scored.

Workhorse Miller got her third win on the mound, giving up seven hits with two strike outs as she out-dual Mary ‘Cruise’ Sweeting, who suffered the loss on nine hits with two strike outs.

None of Sunshine Auto’s players had more than one hit with Rebecca Moss getting one and scoring twice with a RBI. Renee ‘Sunshine’ Davis, Antonia Simmons and Tamica Davis all had one hit and scored a run.

Lady Truckers 12, Lady Wildcats 11: Coming in to replace starter Mechelle Moss in the fifth inning, Mary Edgecombe gave up four hits, including a two-run triple to Crystal Evans and a walk-of-the-field two-run single to Javante Rose on Sunday.

The game picked up from the fifth inning on Sunday after officials had to halt play in the fifth inning on Saturday due to darkness because of no lights yet at the field after the passing of Hurricane Matthew.

Theola Ferguson led their attack by going 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored; Marvelle Miller was 3-for-4 with two runs scored; Crystal Taylor was 2-for-2 with a RBI and a run scored; Javante Rose was 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored and Melinda Bastian was 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored.

Sunshine Auto, who had taken a 11-7 lead going into the seventh was led by Larika Russell’s 2-for-3 day with three RBI and a run scored. Rebecca Moss was 2-for-5 with a RBI and a run; Chryshan Percentie was 3-for-4 with a run scored and Antonia Simmons was 1-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored.

The Lady Wildcats scored four in the first, two in the second, two in the third, one in the fifth and two in the seventh. The Lady Truckers responded by putting up one run in the first, two in the second, three in the fifth, two in the sixth to go along with their seventh inning clincher.

Lady Truckers 5, Lady Wildcats 3: After falling behind 3-0 in the series opener on Saturday, Johnson’s Truckers responded by scoring two runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh to secure the win.

Kenice Symonette went 3-for-4 with a run scored; her mother veteran Zella Symonette was a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs scored; Thela Ferguson was 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run scored; Khatrel Dorsette was also 2-for-2 with two RBI and Malinda Bastian was 1-for-4 with a run scored.

Marvelle Miller gave up eight hits with a walk for the win on the mound. Mary Edgecombe issued 13 hits with four strike outs in a losing effort.

Sweeting also helped her own cause by going 2-for-3 with a RBI. Mechelle Moss was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Larikah Russell was 1-for-2 with a RBI and a run scored.