The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

MARY 'Cruise’ Sweeting and the pennant winning Sigma Wildcats sent a strong message to the defending champions Sigma Brackettes.

The message: Either come to play or the New Providence Softball Association ladies’ best-of-seven Carl ‘Bang Bang’ Johnson championship series could be over in a hurry.

In game one of the series last night in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, Sweeting tossed a no-hit shut out as the Wildcats blanked the Brackettes 7-0 in five innings via the mercy rule.

Edgecombe, the pitcher with the best earned run average (ERA) during the regular season, also helped her own cause on the offensive end, going 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI (runs batted in) and scored as many times to lead their charge against veteran pitcher Ernestine Stubbs.

“We want to stay ahead of this team. We don’t want to come from behind,” said Sweeting of their impressive start. “I think we did an excellent job tonight. If we continue to play that way the rest of the season, this season could be early in four games.”

As for her offensive attack, Sweeting said she was simply on her game.

“I was doing okay until I pulled up,” said Sweeting, who suffered a slight cramp as she crossed home plate with her second run in a two-run third inning. “I still managed to come back in the game and finished the job.”

In the top of the fifth, the Brackettes had their best opportunity to at least get on the scoreboard and extend the game. But after Sweeting got the first two out, Jaquana Ferguson walked and Latonia Bowleg got hit by a pitch.

Sweeting then managed to force Zella Symonette to ground out to end the game.

Brackettes’ manager Mario Ford said “they may have lost the momentum, but the series is far from over.

“They came out tonight and they hit the ball,” he said. “We made some mistakes in the game and that cost us tonight. We came out flat and they capitalised. With Mary being the pitcher that she is, she did what she had to do.”

Just like they did in the fifth, the Brackettes had a golden opportunity to score in the first, but they left Symonette and Shavette Taylor stranded on third and second respectively as Sweeting got Ruthann Simms to ground out before she struck out Theola Williams.

In the bottom of the frame, the Wildcats started their rally.

Mechelle Moss and Candice Smith got back-to-back walks and batting champion Jeanette Hilton knocked in Moss with the first run on her RBI single.

The Wildcats produced four more runs on six hits, highlighted by RBI singles by Sweeting, Smith and Hilton.

Despite falling 1-0 in the series, Ford said his Brackettes just have to play much better than they did in game one when they play game two on Saturday night.

“We can’t depend on our defence to do the job and when we get on the base, we can’t score,” Ford said. “We can’t expect to get on base on the walks and pitch by pitches. We have to hit the ball in order to beat this team.

They came up with two more runs on three hits in the third as Sweeting got a one-out RBI single and Lashonda Berthell had a two-out RBI single.

Sweeting, on the other hand, said they are coming back with the same intensity for game two.

“We want to sweep this team,” she stated. “We’re going to take it one game at a time. Hopefully we can come out here on Saturday night and give an even better game. Once we execute our plays the way we did tonight, it shouldn’t be a problem.”