The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Queen’s College Comets, behind ace pitcher Dwaynia Pratt and a spectacular catch from left fielder Chrisma Taylor, pulled off a 9-3 victory over the St Andrew’s Hurricanes to remain undefeated in the senior girls division of the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS) softball league.

Pratt tossed a two-hitter, striking out on Thursday and she helped to fuel a five-run third inning as the Comets came from a 2-0 deficit at home. The game, which was played amidst the drizzle of rain, was almost a pitcher’s duel, but Hannah Albury fell short, giving up six hits with four strike outs for the Hurricanes, who fell to 1-2.

Holding onto the final score going into the top of the fifth, St Andrew’s threatened to score with one out after Rhema Nottage singled and stole second. Della Maycock came up to bat and hit a shot to left centre field that Taylor snagged down sliding on her hip. Nottage then stole third, but she was left stranded as Pratt went on to strike out Celine Griffin to end the game.

“I think we played well. We’ve been practicing hard and the girls came out and played like they are capable of playing,” said Queen’s College coach Sandre Hobbs. “We got off to a slow start because we are just really building our confidence playing together.

“But as the season progresses, we hope to play much better. Our goal this year is to get past the playoffs. We got to the playoffs last year and lost. But we want to go to the championship this year.”

The Comets still have a long way to go before the regular season is completed at the end of the month. They still haven’t met the defending champions St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine, who are also undefeated. The two are slated to clash on Tuesday, October 21, at Queen’s College.

Hobbs, however, said the way they are playing right now, they are confident that the Comets will be a force to reckon with.

Queen’s College got on the score board in the bottom of the first when Paige Carter walked, stole second and third and eventually came home on an error for a 2-1 deficit.

The Comets then went ahead for good in the third with five runs on five hits as they batted around the clock.

Queenie Albury led the rally with a triple and scored the tying run on a error that placed Pratt all the way to third on her hit to left field. Wollecia McKinney knocked in Pratt with her RBI single for the game’s winning run. McKinney stole second, Carter singled and Kimone Wilson had a RBI single to knock in McKinney.

With two out, Carter managed to score on a wild pitch that placed Wilson on third. India Sweeting followed with a run-producing single that sent Wilson home and after Zoe Pearce walked, Christina Sawyer flied out to end the rally with a 6-3 lead.

In the fourth, Queen’s College came up with three more runs to push the game out of reach.

Albury led off with a walk, stole second and Pratt followed with a walk. After Albury and Pratt advanced to third and second respectively on stolen bases, McKinney walked to load the bases. However, Carter struck out and Kaitlyn Cooper, pinch hitting for Wilson, had a RBI fielder’s choice as Albury scampered home.

On the same play, Pratt attempted to go to third, but was picked off. Then on a throwing error, McKinney came home. Another error on the same play enabled Cooper to come home before Taylor was struck out to end their threat to score anymore runs.

St Andrew’s opened the game by scoring their first two runs in the top of the first as both Hannah Albury and Megan Fox walked and eventually came home on a RBI ground out from Rhema Nottage and a wild pitch. Their final run came in the fourth when Griffin got to first on a passed ball on a strike out. After Lauren Glinton singled, Griffin scored on an error.

Despite the loss, Hurricanes’ coach Jennifer Roach said they are still in the thick of returning to the playoffs.

“I think it was a little bit of not believing in us and what we can do,” Roach said. “We have a very, very capable team. We had an inexperienced outfield today, but we have a very strong pitcher and strong infield. Our bats didn’t do the job. You can’t win if you don’t hit. When you make a few mistakes, the attitudes start to drop and things just happen.

“We have seen some of the hardest teams already. We’ve played SAC and this team, so moving ahead, we have some things that we know we will do well against. So I think if we do end up seeing this team again in the playoffs, we will do very well against them.”

Roach said they just have to regroup before they play again on the road on Thursday, October 9, at Kingsway Academy.

“Our kids are very smart and they always come around by the end of the season,” she said. “So I think we will see a major difference as we move forward. We just have to look at this as a learning experience and move forward.”