The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE losing their potent batter Latoya Brown, their manger Richard Bain and coach Kelly Smith to an illegal substitution, the Inventive Intellect Warriors managed to avoid elimination in their best-of-seven championship against the defending champions and pennant winning Sunshine Auto Wildcats.

With sponsor Sunshine Auto attempting a four-game sweep on Saturday night in the Banker’s Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex with their celebration party set up, the Warriors came from behind to win 4-3.

It was a different scenario for the Inventive Intellects, who blew the lead in the previous three games of their New Providence Softball Association ladies’ finals, only to find themselves dropping into a 3-0 hole against Sunshine Auto.

Brown provided the spark with a perfect 3-for-3 night, including the game winning run-producing double that drove home third sacker Jeannette Hilton on her lead off single in the fifth inning.

Brown then got to third on a wild pitch and was replaced by pinch runner, who was left stranded. Wildcats’ ace Thela Johnson struck out leftfielder Sheryl Evans, forced Lathera Brown to ground out and then struck out Keisha Pratt.

When they went on the field, Brown was back on defence, but the Wildcats protested because she wasn’t reported to the game officials. That resulted in both Brown and Kelly (acting as the manager in signing the line-up sheet) being ejected.

After Bain protested, he was tossed for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The good thing was the fact that there was only one inning left to play and this time, the Warriors held on to their late comeback win, unlike when they led early and couldn’t contain the Wildcats.

“We were down 3-0 and we said we were not going to give up,” said Lathera Brown, who ended up as the team captain on the field.

“We came out to play ball tonight. We were up against a good team that has won the championship for the past two years, but we will stop them. We’re coming back for them.” Game five of the series is set for 7pm Tuesday, but Brown said as long as they an duplicate their game four performance, they will be okay.

“We cut down on the errors, played smart ball and hit,” she pointed out. “Our bats came out tonight. It wasn’t that much, but it worked.

“Game five is on Tuesday. We’re coming out ready. We’re going to stay hot.”

The Warriors will need some more offensive power, but coach Rebecca Moss said her Wildcats are not concerned at all. The celebrations they didn’t enjoy Saturday, they will do it on Tuesday when they complete the series.

“We fell short. We ended up in the losing bracket tonight, but I must give it to the other team. They came out and they stuck to their game plan and they hit the ball pretty good also,” Moss said.

“But next game we will be better prepared. We didn’t hit like we normally hit.”

With the celebrations already planned on the sidelines, Moss said they may have gotten a little complacent and they didn’t perform as anticipated.

That will change on Tuesday, she said, as they try to win their third straight NPSA ladies’ crown.

The game was decided on Brown’s big bat in the fifth, but in earning the most valuable player award, Brown also sparked their come-from-behind win when she led off the fourth on a double.

Evans then knocked her in on a RBI triple to left field and she scored the Warriors’ second run on an error that placed Lathera Brown all the way to second base.

Another error enabled Brown to score their third run, the most they’ve scored in any one of the previous three games, which was an omen that they were heading to something big.

Mia Turner, their Canadian high school versatile player, provided a different look when she got the starting nod and went the distance, holding Sunshine Auto to just four hits.

Turner did give up two runs in the second when infielder Aaliyah Ferguson led off with a single and eventually caught a ride home on catcher Sherra Woodside’s single and an error that placed her on second.

Woodside scored the other run on a RBI ground out by Lashanda Bethel.

The Wildcats, managed by Anthony Bullard, got their third and final run in the fifth, thanks to a RBI ground out from outfielder Tyrice Curry-Davis that drove in another outfielder in Dennisha Woodside, who got on base on an error.

Thela Johnson went the distance for the loss on six hits and five strikeouts.