The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ACE Alcott Forbes, avenging a home run he gave up to fellow national team pitcher Thomas Davis in game two as the Commando Security Truckers won their only game so far, pushed the C&S Hitmen one game away from repeating as the New Providence Softball Association men’s champions.

In game four on Saturday night in the Banker’s Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, Forbes cracked a 2-2 pitch from Davis for a lead off solo homer in a two-run seventh inning that helped to propel the Hitmen to a 3-0 shutout over the Truckers and a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven championship series.

“Every time I face him, I am good for one of them, but this time it took a little longer,” said Forbes of the homer on a 2-2 pitch. “It’s a regular for him, he shouldn’t be shy.” Not in complete command of the driver’s seat of the series, Forbes and the Hitmen can clinch another title when they play game five at 8:30pm Tuesday and get a chance to represent the NPSA in the Bahamas Softball Federation’s National Robin Robin in November.

“We’re champions. We know what we have to do. We’ve been here before and we’re going for five titles,” said Forbes, who also had another impressive performance on the mound, firing a three-hitter with 14 strike outs. “We just came out to have some fun and execute the game.”

Following Forbes’ shot, left fielder Martin Burrows Jr got struck out, but Truckers’ catcher Garfield Bethel couldn’t hold onto the pitch from Davis. Burrows Jr got on first on a passed ball, got to second on a wild pitch and, as he stole second, he scored on a throwing error by Bethel.

Davis then struck out for the final two Hitmen batters as he ended up with a total of 14 as well, including mowing down the side in order in the third and fourth. Before the two-run seventh, the Hitmen had taken a 1-0 lead as designated player Edron Knowles had a one-out single, moved up on consecutive passed balls and eventually came home on a wild pitch in the first.

“The performance was excellent. Forbes pitched a hell of a game and the defence was spot on,” said C&S manager Darren Stevens. “We were clicking on all cylinders, so it was hard to beat us tonight.”

Now that they are comfortably in the driver’s seat, what can the fans expect on Tuesday night?

“We are keeping our feet on the pedal. We’re not lighting the cigar until the fat lady sings,” he stated.

Commando Security led seven batters on base, five in scoring position, but they couldn’t cash in on their attempts to score in the first, second, third, fifth and sixth as Forbes kept them at bay.

“Tonight was a tough loss for us. Both pitchers were going at it, but we just couldn’t hit the ball when we needed to with runners on base,” said centre fielder Lamar Watkins. “I think that was the difference of the game tonight.”

Angelo Watson was one of the players left stranded in scoring position on second twice with just one out, once on a double. Winston Seymour and Bethel each got in that position once, but neither were able to break up the shutout for the Truckers, who now find themselves in a win-or-die situation.

In order to bounce back, Watkins said they have to do it “playing with our backs against the wall. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. So far they have been outthinking us in certain situations. They’ve been there before and done it. We’ve also been there, but we just have to do better.”

Truckers’ player/coach Olando McPhee said if they had not made the mistakes they did, the outcome would have been different. But he warned the Hitmen that “it ain’t over just yet.”

“It was a good pitching duel, but we just have to play Truckers ball,” he declared. “We’re not going to give up. We’re not going to put our bats down just like that. We are going to come back and play ball.”