The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Facing elimination in three consecutive games, the Commando Security Truckers played arguably their best softball of the season and came from behind to win the best of seven series for the 2018 New Providence Softball Association title.

The Truckers clinched the championship with a 6-5 win over the C & S Hitmen in game seven in the Banker’s Field at Baillou Hills Sporting Complex on Saturday night. The Hitmen dominated the game for much of the evening and led by as much as 5-2 until Garfield Bethel’s grand slam in the top of the sixth inning put the Truckers ahead for good.

“It’s all about not giving up, they scored some runs early but we believed those runs were unearned. We hit when the timing was right and we were able to get the job done,” Truckers outfielder Lamar Watkins said. “Before the season started, before this series started, people thought we would get swept…two-time defending champions, but the Truckers are a great organisation, we are just trying to get it back to where it used to be.”

The teams split the first two games, but the Hitmen won games three and four to take a commanding 3-1 lead before the late series collapse.

Game six was rained out on Thursday night, forcing the teams into a situation to play back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday to conclude the series.

Truckers pitcher Eugene Pratt, the hero of game six with his walk-off home run Friday night to force game seven, was back on the mound for the second consecutive night.

“Eugene was big for us having to go back-to-back games. We were left without one of our pitchers, he had to take a trip, we didn’t want to cancel so we had to fight with what we had,” Watkins said, “We worked hard all year and hard work pays off.”

On the mound again for the Hitmen was ace pitcher Alcott Forbes, pitching his third game in the series. Forbes was ejected from game five, the first of the three consecutive wins for the Truckers.

“Our mindset was we already beat him twice already and we think we can do it again,” Watkins said. “He wasn’t as sharp as he was before he got thrown out the last game, but even then we were up 3-1 that game so we just knew either way, we had to hit.”

Forbes said for the season to end in this fashion was a major disappointment to his club that fought to overcome adversity throughout the series. “Bittersweet moment man, we had a lot going on with our team, a lot of injuries, adversity, we had a lot of things we tried to overcome. “Mentally I believe the team was torn apart because of what was going on since the series started,” he said.

The Hitmen had the bases loaded on three occasions but failed to capitalise with runners in scoring position.

“Those things happen. At the end of the day I believe everyone was too aggressive, wanted it a bit too bad, forced ourselves into some mistakes and we just couldn’t get what we were supposed to get,” Forbes said. “However the Truckers are a very good ball club, I’m pulling for them in BSF Nationals.”

His ejection from game five was one of the major storylines of the series and his issues with officiating led Forbes to declare this past season his final year playing fastpitch softball.

“I don’t want to elaborate on the problem with the officiating because I’m not a cry baby, however, we had opportunities to win the game but I believe the umpires should let players play and they should just call safe and out.”

The Hitmen join the Sunshine Auto Wildcats in the women’s division to represent New Providence at the Bahamas Softball Federation’s National Round Robin.