The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Defending champions Bommer G Truckers steamrolled into the 2012 New Providence Softball Association season until they ran into the Dorin United Hitmen at the Banker's Field on Saturday night.

In the lone game played at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, the Hitmen got a run-producing double from center fielder William Delancy to drive in third baseman Jayson Adderley with the final run to force the Truckers to walk off the field with the abbreviated 8-1 five inning encounter.

It was the first loss in four games for Bommer G, dropping them into a two-way tie for first with the idled Blue Chips Buccaneers, while Dorin United improved to 2-1 for third.

In the women's opener, the YII Shipping Wildcats won by default over the Sigma Brackettes. With the win, the Wildcats join the Black Scorpions in third at 2-1 behind the undefeated Lady Hitmen (3-0) and the Bommer G Operators (2-0). The Brackettes fell to sixth at 1-3.

Hitmen 8, Truckers 1

It was another intense match-up that saw Dorin United manager Aaron Adderley get ejected in the fourth inning with his team leading 7-1. It didn't make any difference as ace pitcher Alcott Forbes already had the Truckers' batters in check. Back in the league after playing last year in Grand Bahama, Forbes finished with a one-hit, six-strike out performance with two walks.

"I was very, very comfortable. I've seen the Truckers for a while. I think this is my time now and I intend to take the game to them," Forbes said. "I am here to take what's mine. I think I have the team behind me, so I'm just going to go out there and do what I have to do."

The Truckers got their lone run in the top of the fourth when Ramon 'Shaky' Johnson knocked in his brother Jamal 'Sarge' Johnson with his RBI single. The siblings led Bommer G with a 1-for-1 night at the plate.

It was during that inning that Aaron Adderley was ejected by home plate Anthony 'Rakes' Bowe after he argued the use of an illegal bat by the Truckers.

Kervin 'Pucket' Culmer, who took over the managerial chores in Adderley's departure, said it was a hotly contested game that was expected from both teams.

"The two teams have a history of playing a fierce game. That was all it was," Culmer said. "It was no doubt that you will see these two teams in the final at the end of the season. I think they both tried to send a message to each other and to the rest of the league. It was a high intensity game. They don't like each other. But we just wanted to take the upper hand."

At the end of the game, league president Godfrey 'Gully' Burnside pulled the two together on the field and addressed their behaviour. Hopefully, it will help to ensure that calmer heads prevail as the season progresses.

Truckers manager Perry Seymour said there was no concern on their behalf. "It was a good game. My team made mistakes on the field and we caused them to get some runs. That game should have ended up at 1-0," he said. "The umpire just allowed the game to get out of hand. The other manager was making noise all night and he wouldn't put him in check. My fellows did something wrong and he threw them out of the game. We just made too many mistakes and we lost the game."

Delancy, producing the game winning hit, went 1-for-3, while Jayson Adderley had a perfect 2-for-2 night with a RBI and three runs scored.

Keiron Munroe also had a perfect 2-for-2 night with a RBI and a run and Jameko Sands was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a run scored. Lavaughn Ferguson helped out by going 1-for-3 with a run scored.