The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

The St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine once again took the spotlight on day two of the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools softball playoffs as both boys teams advanced to the championship round.

SAC’s senior boys had the Charles W Saunders Cougars completely flustered on their way to a 24-12 victory last night. The duo of Ellison Hanna and Anton Lightbourn came up clutch for the Big Red Machine, combining six hits and 10 runs batted in. Now SAC nation is thinking repeat.

In the bottom of the fourth, Cougars’ pitcher Chron Wallace intentionally walked a man to challenge Lightbourn who made him instantly regret his choice. Lightbourn took the first pitch by the Cougars’ pitcher deep, emptying the bases and pushing the four-point SAC lead to 17-9.

During the top of the fifth inning, CWS managed to load the bases but Ellison Hanna proved that he had a defensive effort to match his offensive output, robbing the Cougars of a grand slam that would have trimmed the lead.

With this stellar performance, SAC clinched a championship series spot and will face off against the NCA Crusaders.

The Big Red Machine made it two for two on the night and four for four in the playoffs as their junior boys dominated the Nassau Christian Academy Crusaders 10-0.

Another SAC duo shined in this matchup as Chartum Ferguson and Tnaige Wallace led the team to the win.

With the win, the junior Big Red Machine move on to face the Queen’s College Comets.

The theme in both the junior and senior girls games yesterday was composure as both games were won by the team that held it together until the final out.

The St Andrew’s Hurricanes outlasted the Charles W Saunders Cougars 9-7 in the junior girls semi-final game. The Big Red Machine awaits them in the finals.

The St Anne’s Bluewaves pulled it together in the final inning after surrendering a 7-0 lead to NCA’s senior girls. The Bluewaves scored four runs during the top half of the fifth inning to regain the lead 11-8. They took out the Crusaders one, two, three in the bottom of the inning, setting up a championship series with yet another SAC team.

The BAISS championship series is slated to begin Monday at Freedom Farm Field in Yamacraw.