The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Softball 242 is bringing some of the women’s teams in the region to compete in the One Caribbean Invitational Women Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament.

Softball 242, composed of some veteran former softball executives in the country, will host the tournament from October 5-8 at the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex with four visiting teams and two local teams competing.

Thomas Sears, the organiser, revealed that the New Providence Softball Association’s perennial champions Sunshine Auto Wildcats, managed by Anthony Bullard, and the Unity Bahamas, managed by Shane Albury, are the two local teams participating.

The BVI Aces from the British Virgin Islands; the US Virgin Islands team and the Club Fusion and the Warriors Queens from Jamaica will make up the field of teams coming in.

“This is all in an effort to unite softball or use softball as a tool to unite the region,” Sears said.

“Softball is just one of those sports that can unify the region, so we’re coining it Softball in Paradise.” 

The tournament is being sanctioned by the Bahamas Softball Federation (BSF), the English Caribbean Amateur Softball Confederation (ECASC) and the World Baseball/Softball Confederation Americas (WBSC) and will be played under the World Baseball/Softball Confederation standards with a round robin format that will result in the top four seeds playing in a seed championship round. 

All participants, according to Sears, will receive commemorative awards and the top three teams will also receive gold, silver and bronze medals in addition to team trophies.

“The fans can see softball at another level,” Sears said. “The US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands are among the leaders in the region when it comes to softball.”

Assisting Sears are Burkett Dorsett, the local technical director; Sharon ‘the General’ Storr, Ted Miller, Rozina Taylor, Athama Bowe and Godfrey Burnside.

Sears, a WBSC certified official, said the plan is to incorporate both local and international umpires to ensure that the games are successfully staged.