The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LAST year, the Nassau Christian Academy Crusaders got to the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ senior girls softball playoffs before they were eliminated. This year, they got to the championship series and they made sure that the title didn’t slip away from them.

After pulling off a close 15-14 victory over St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine in game one on Friday, Nassau Christian Academy came back on Monday and completed the sweep of the best-of-three series with a stunning 25-19 come-from-behind victory.

The Crusaders were not the only ones to win big yesterday. The Big Red Machine rolled past the Queen’s College Comets 22-13 to repeat as the junior boys champions, while the Comets turned the tables on the St Andrew’s Hurricanes with a 20-15 decision in the junior girls’ series.

In the senior boys’ series, the Jordan Prince William Falcons were pounding SAC but the official score was unavailable up to press time last night.

Here’s a summary of the three championship series that were completed yesterday:

Crusaders 25,

Big Red Machine 19

After winning game one 15-14, Nassau Christian Academy fell behind 15-5 in game two, only to come up with a seven-run fourth inning and a 13-run fifth inning to easily rout St. Augustine’s College to finally win their first senior girls title.

“It was long overdue,” said Crusaders’ coach Michelle Miller. “After we got knocked out of the playoffs last year, we went down and practiced and made sure that we were going to win. First of all, I want to thank God because only because of him we were able to win.”

Miller made a key substitution when he brought in Charity Rolle from left field in the third inning to pitch. Rolle went on to hold the Big Red Machine’s bats at bay, holding them off in scoring positions the rest of the game to preserve the win.

“We wanted it. We wanted to win,” coach Miller said. “It feels sweet. It’s so sweet.”

Nassau Christian Academy got some clutch hits from so many players in their line-up as they made their comeback.

In the fourth, Rolle produced a RBI single and was followed by her sister Brittany Rolle with a two-run single. Atiya Deal added a RBI double and Yvanna McDonald got a two-run single as they batted around the clock to trail 15-12.

Then in the fifth as they broke the game wide open, Atiya Deal led off with a three-run single, Erin Johnson had a RBI double, Charity Rolle a two-run single, Brittany Rolle a RBI single and Erin Johnson closed out another plate appearance with a two-run double.

St Augustine’s College made one final bid to get back into the game in the fifth as they scored four runs, but it wasn’t enough. Janelle Curtis had a RBI single, Kayshell Adderley a two-run single and Jamie Cartwright a RBI single.

But losing pitcher Cierra Bonamy, who sparked their early lead with an in-the-park home run and a RBI walk, admitted that they just let the game get away from them in the fifth.

“We did our best, but at the end, we just got too relaxed and didn’t play that well,” Bonamy said. “We got nervous and we started to get down and let our emotions get to us.”

Big Red Machine 22,

Comets 13

After playing a rather close encounter with a 6-2 win in game one, St Augustine’s College came out from the break, scoring 13 runs in the first inning to prove to Queen’s College that they were not prepared yet to relinquish their junior boys title.

Larry Alcime led the attack with a three-run double, Travis Smith, Johnathan McFall, Alex Johnson and Kade Bodie had consecutive RBI singles as they batted around the clock with Alcime producing a RBI fielder’s choice in his second trip, followed by a RBI single from Wayde Beckford and Ellison Hanna.

After giving up five runs to the Comets in the bottom of the first (highlighted by a RBI single from Peron Butler and a RBI double from Rumalo Ellis), the Big Red Machine extended their lead to 19-5 on a two-run double from Travis Ferguson, a RBI walk from Wade Beckford and a RBI sacrifice fly from Ellison Hanna.

Travis Smith went on to surrender three more runs to the Comets in the third (highlighted by a Sandron Morley RBI single), two more in the fourth (ignited by Andreus Seymour’s RBI single) and three unearned runs in the fifth, but it wasn’t enough to dethrone the Big Red Machine.

“We came back to defend our title,” said SAC coach John Todd. “We felt that we could win it because after we beat Charles W Saunders, we knew we beat the better team.”

Todd said he was so confident that he told his Big Red Machine squad that he wanted “10 runs in the first inning,” but they produced 13 instead.

“So I was satisfied with that,” he said. “We just couldn’t lay down and die. They fought good.”

Queen’s College coach Garry Markham, however, noted that the deficit was just too much to overcome.

“If you take away that first inning, it was a pretty good game,” he said. “Our pitchers couldn’t get it together in the first inning. I was disappointed in that. But we clawed our way back into the game, but it wasn’t enough. I was still pretty pleased with the guys. They never gave up. They kept fighting at the end. It was good to see the opposing coaches screaming at their mistakes.”

Bertram Murray started the game but had to take a break as Jyles Romer came in from shortstop to help out. But after Romer couldn’t hold off SAC, Murray returned to try and finish off the job.

Comets 20, Hurricanes 15

Andira Ferguson was the winning pitcher and she helped her own cause by joining Laura Eldon, Dewina Pratt ad Dejan Brennen in scoring three runs apiece for Queen’s College as they completed their junior girls sweep.

The Comets won game one 10-6 on Friday.

“Winning today was very good. St Andrew’s played very well, but QC Comets were hungry for the victory and we worked together as a team and we came away with the victory,” said Comets’ coach Sandre Hobbs.

“Winning was a result of the synergy at Queen’s College where the parents and staff work together for a common goal.

“I just want to say thanks to coach Sweeting and coach Taylor, who are parents of students at QC. They have been working closely with our girls and as a result we came away with the victory today. Way to go QC.”

Chrisma Taylor, the shortstop for St Andrew’s, said if they had fielded the ball and threw it properly, the outcome could have been in their favour.

“Thank God that we made it to the finals,” she said. “At first I was disappointed that we lost, but we still have next year to come back and do it again.”