The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE opening sport on the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools calendar heads into its playoff rounds today as the softball season is set to conclude within the next two weeks.

After six weeks of regular season play between 42 teams in four divisions, just 16 teams remain to vie for the 2013 title in their respective divisions. The single game elimination playoffs are all set to begin 4pm today at the Freedom Farm Baseball Park.

Today’s match-ups will feature the pennant winners against the fourth seeds, while Wednesday will be highlighted by the match-ups between the second and third seeds.

We will be assured two new champions in the senior divisions as both last year’s boys’ and girls’ title winners finished fifth and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Closely contested all season, the senior boys division has set the tone for an unpredictable finish as each of the four playoff teams enter the post-season with identical 8-2 records.

The defending champion Jordan Prince William Falcons missed the playoffs a game behind at 7-3.

Last year’s runners-up, the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine, are the top seeds and are slated to face the Nassau Christian Academy Crusaders in the first semifinal today.

The St Anne’s Blue Waves and CW Saunders Cougars will face off on the opposite side of the bracket to determine the look of the championship series.

In 2012, the Falcons claimed their first BAISS softball title in a two-game sweep of the Big Red Machine after 24-12 and 22-7 wins.

In the senior girls’ division, the defending champion NCA Crusaders finished at 5-4, along with Queen’s College, but the Comets held the tiebreaker to claim the fourth spot.

St Augustine’s took the pennant with a spotless 9-0 record and are scheduled to face the Comets today.

In the two versus three match-up tomorrow, the Kingsway Academy Saints take on St Andrew’s Hurricanes. Both teams will come in with matching 7-2 records.

Last season’s championship series was marked by the Crusaders’ late game heroics over the Big Red Machine in the two-game sweep.

In game one, they escaped 15-14 and overcame a 10-run deficit late in game two to win 25-19.

In junior boys’ play, the Big Red Machine look to continue their dominance in the division as the perennial champions begin their title defence.

After an undefeated 10-0 season, they will take on the 7-3 CW Saunders Cougars today.

On the other half of the bracket, the second ranked Queen’s College Comets face the St Andrew’s Hurricanes.

The Comets, at 8-2, finished a game ahead of the Hurricanes in the standings at 7-3.

In the 2012 series, SAC won a close game in the opener (6-2) and took game two in a rout, 22-13, to claim the title.

In the junior girls’ division, the pennant winning St Andrew’s Hurricanes look to rebound from last year’s loss in the championship series.

The Hurricanes finished the regular season undefeated at 7-0 and face the fourth place CW Saunders Cougars in the opening round. The Cougars finished the season at 4-3.

SAC finished second in the division at 6-1, and face the defending champion Queen’s College Comets, who ended the year 5-2.

In the 2012 series, the Comets completed a two-game sweep of the Hurricanes - 10-6 in game one and 20-15 in game two.

The pair of junior series will be first on the schedule at 4pm, followed by the senior divisions.

The championship series in each division is slated to begin Monday, November 11.

Game two is set for Wednesday, November 13 and game three (if necessary) Thursday, November 14.