The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ASHANTI Darville came to the Sigma Brackettes for moments just like this. With veteran Ernestine Butler-Stubbs done for the night, Darville was brought in from first base and she closed the door shut on the Electro Telecom Lady Hitters season in the New Providence Softball Association.

Darville retired the Lady Hitters in order in the top of the seventh inning and after getting to first on a one-out passed ball, helped to ignite a two-run rally in the bottom of the frame to seal a come-from-behind 8-7 walk-off-the-field victory for the Brackettes.

With the win, Sigma advanced to the best-of-seven championship series as they completed a three-game sweep over Electro Telecom, who avoided getting shutout by Butler-Stubbs for the third time in the best-of-five semifinal playoffs.

Butler-Stubbs led the Brackettes as they pulled off consecutive 7-0 and 9-0 decisions over the Lady Hitters in the first two games. She noted that with Darville in their line-up this year, they have the right ingredients to go all the way.

“I think the game was a really good game for the playoffs. Our team did our best as we came back and pulled off the win,” Darville said. “I was happy that I got the chance to go in as a closing pitcher and actually finished the job for our team.”

Darville said she knew sooner or later she would get an opportunity like this and was just waiting on the right time. “At this level, you always have to be ready to come in at any position,” she said. “So as soon as I heard that I needed to go warm up, I was ready.”

And now that they are into the finals, Darville said they have to step up their game another notch.

“We expect to see the Proper Care Pool Lady Sharks,” Darville said. “They should be a better head-up competition, but we expect to come out with the victory.”

The Brackettes could know tonight who their opponents will be in the finals. The Lady Sharks hold a commanding 2-0 lead over the Sigma Wildcats going into game three of their half of the playoffs.

Brackettes’ manager Bobby ‘Baylor’ Fernander said they have their money on the Lady Sharks.

“Tonight we were not sharp at all. We’re not going to make any excuses, but we were short of a couple of key players tonight,” he said. “We went out, we got some runs, got a lead and then the defence broke down. But we regrouped, stayed together as a team and then they collapsed.

“We’re now into the finals and we want Bishop. That’s who we want. Tell the Sharks that we want them. It’s now or never. If you ain’t ready now, when will we be? Bring them on. We want Bishop and the Sharks.”

Against the Lady Hitters in the clincher, the Brackettes fell behind from the top of the first inning. With two out, losing pitcher Thela Johnson doubled and scored on Shera Woodside, her battery mate’s run-producing triple. Woodside was left stranded as Butler-Stubbs got Lashanta Fowler to ground out.

After blowing a golden opportunity to score in the second with the bases loaded, only to watch as Johnson mowed down the next three batters, the Brackettes finally got on the scoreboard in the third on Shevette Taylor’s RBI fielder’s choice and Tonia Bowles’ two-run double for a 3-1 lead.

The Lady Hitters cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fourth on Tikara Collie’s RBI single that scored Samantha Bastian from third on her one-out triple.

Sigma produced three more runs in the fourth, highlighted by Theola Williams’ two-run single that scored Zella Symonette and Taylor after Levethra Demeritte had a lead off single and eventually came home on an error.

In the fifth, the Lady Hitters responded with a run on Woodside’s RBI single that knocked in Melinda Bastian from her lead off double.

The Hitters, managed by Carl ‘Bang Bang’ Johnson, went wild as they got to Butler-Stubbs with four runs on just one hit - a two-run single from Fowler as they batted around the clock - for a slim 7-6 lead.

The lead was short lived as the Brackettes bounced back to seal the deal in the bottom of the seventh. “We were doing good. We had a nice game going until the last inning when we got down on ourselves and we threw the game away,” said Lady Hitters’ losing pitcher Thela Johnson.

With their season done, Johnson said there’s just one thing that they need to do in the off-season to get ready for next year. “Practice. We have to do a whole lot of practice,” she said. “We had just two days to practice to get us ready for this. But like I say, we had our chance to win, but we just threw the game away in the seventh inning.”

In the end, they threw away the remainder of their season as well.