The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ANGELO Dillet and Alcott Forbes both had a three-run homerun to lift the defending men’s champions Arnette’s Sporting Lounge Hitmen over a stunning 9-2 walk-off victory over the front-running Sting Truckers as the New Providence Softball Association continued its regular season action on Saturday night.

During the featured contest in the Banker’s Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, catcher Dillet’s three-run blast in the bottom of the sixth signalled the end as the game was stopped via the seven-run rule after the fifth inning. Ace pitcher Forbes, back in the line-up after a short absence, gave the Hitmen a 5-1 lead after the second inning.

The game was played after another upset occurred in the ladies’ opener as first sacker Chryshann Percentie ripped a bases loaded three-run double to break up a 5-5 tie as the Black Scorpions went on to power their way to an impressive 15-7 win over the defending champions Sigma Brackettes.

While the NPSA is slated to play games on Tuesday and Thursday nights, a memorial service will take place on Wednesday for the late Carl ‘Bang Bang’ Johnson, the manager of the Electro Telecoms Lady Hitters. No games will be played on Saturday as Johnson’s funeral service will take place in Eleuthera.

• Here’s a summary of the two matches played on Saturday night:

Hitmen 9, Truckers 2

It has been a while since Angelo Dillet came through like he did against the Truckers. On a 1-1 pitch from Anthon ‘Bookie’ Gibson, Dillet wracked a shot over the right field fence as the Arnette’s Sporting Lounge celebrated their second homer for the game, this time to force the Truckers to walk off the field in defeat in the sixth.

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a walk off, so it was nice to have a walk off again. It was nice,” said Dillet, who only had the one hit, but walked, reached safely on first on an error and flied out as he ended up touching home plate with two runs.

On the return of Forbes, who came back on Tuesday, Dillet said he never really left.

“That was just a publicity stunt. He never left us,” Dillet said. “We have one focus and that is to win the championship. If the Truckers want to win the pennant, they could win it, but it’s not about the pennant for us, it’s about the glory of being the champions again.”

While he showed that he was in championship form, firing a three-hitter with 11 strike outs for the win on the mound, Forbes worked Gibson for a full count before he knocked out of the park in left field to put the Hitters up for good, 5-1 in the second inning.

Gibson admitted that it was just not their night.

“It was just one of those nights,” he said. “You have some good ones and you have some bad ones. This is just a bad night, especially our first inning where I threw a lot of balls and we came back in the second inning and Alcott knocked a three-run homerun off me. We just made some simple mistakes.

“But we’re not concerned. They didn’t win anything. Come playoffs, we will be ready.”

Keiron Munroe had a pair of walks in his four trips to the plate and scored both times and in replacing starter Maitland Demeritte, Rudy Fox had a perfect 2-for-2 appearance with a RBI and a run scored.

Runs were hard to come by for the Truckers, who only lost for the second time this year. They had reeled off eight straight before getting beat 7-6 by the Chances Mighty Mitts. Now their four-game winning streak has been snapped as the Hitmen handed them another setback.

They rode Ramon ‘Shakey’ Johnson’s successful bid to reach first base on a one-out hit by pitch from Forbes in the second and scored the first run on a shot to left field by Olando McPhee, who got credit with a double and an error.

The other run came in the sixth when Jamal ‘Sarge’ Johnson got to first on a fielder’s choice as Marvin ‘Tougie’ Wood got forced out.

Scorpions 15, Brackettes 7

After catcher Marissa Burrows was walked for the second consecutive time, Chryshann Percentie took advantage with the bases loaded by ripping a three-run double into the right-centre field to push their team up for good, 8-5. Percentie went on to score one of their next three runs as the Scorpions extended their lead to 11-5.

“That wasn’t first time that she did that to pitch to me,” said Percentie of the intentional walk by Ernestine Stubbs to Burrows to pitch to Percentie. “I had to make an adjustment and I knew that at that point, we had to score those runs to go up in the game, so I did what I had to do.”

In the third inning, Burrows was intentionally walked by Stubbs to load the bases with two out, but in that instance, Percentie popped up.

“We started off slow in the beginning, but I knew we’re a team that don’t give up,” Percentie said. “We knew what we were up against and so we had to pull this win off. We did it. It just feels good.”

Percentie ended up going 2-for-4 with her double, three RBI and a run scored. She was joined offensively by Shavonne Dames, who was 1-for-5 with three runs scored. Maria Palacious was 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored.

With the win, the Scropions improved their record to 10-7 for third place after they scored three runs in the first, four in the fourth, six in the sixth and seven in the seventh.

The Brackettes, who dropped to 11-6 to remain in second place, scored three runs in the first, one in the second, one in the fourth and two more in the fifth.

They were led offensively by Phyissa Stuart with a 2-for-4 night with a RBI and two runs scored. Krystal Delancy went 1-for-4 with two runs scored.

Marvelle Miller was the winning pitcher, giving up seven hits and striking out six. Ernestine Stubbs was tagged with the loss on 14 hits with two strike outs.

TEAM STANDINGS

Ladies Division

Teams W L Pct. GB

Sigma Wildcats 14 1 .933 -

Sigma Brackettes 11 6 .647 4

Black Scorpions 10 7 .588 5

COB Lady Caribs 9 8 .529 6

Electro Telecom Lady Hitters 7 11 .388 81/2

Proper Care Pool Young Stars 1 19 .050 151/2

Men’s Division

Sting Truckers 12 2 .857 -

BTC Elite Warriors 8 4 .666 3

Arnette’s Sporting Lounge Hitmen 6 5 .545 41/2

D&K Smokers 3 9 .250 8

Chances Mighty Mitts 2 12 .143 10

THE SCHEDULE

Tuesday

7pm - Sigma Wiuldcats vs Black SCorpions (L)

8:30pm - Arnette’s Sporting Lounge hitmen vs D&K Smokers (M)

Wednesday

7pm - Memorial Service for Carl Rahming

Thursday

7pm - Sigma Brackettes v COB Lady Caribs (L)

8:30pm - Chances Mighty Mitts vs Sting Truckers (M)

Saturday

No games scheduled