The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE pennant winning Sigma Wildcats continue to roll along in the women’s division of the New Providence Softball Association.

On Saturday night in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, the Wildcats extended their front-running record to 16-1 with an 11-6 decision over the Black Scorpions, who remained in third place at 10-8. It was the only game played after the rain washed away the men’s feature encounter with the BTC Elite Warriors leading the Arnette’s Sporting Lounge Hitmen 4-3 in the top of the second.

Michelle Moss, the high school sensation, came in from second in relief of starter Shonell Symonette on the mound in the sixth inning with the score tied at 6-6 to close the door for the win for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats came up with five runs in the top of the seventh off losing pitcher Marvel Miller to seal the deal.

“We already won the pennant, so tonight didn’t mean much to us, but we wanted to go out and prove that we are for real going into the playoffs,” said Wildcats’ coach Spurgeon Johnson.

“We already won the pennant, now we have three more games left against the next top three teams, who are jockeying for position. So we just didn’t want to throw the game to them because we were dragging when they beat us the first time. We wanted to let them know that if they want to get into the playoffs, they have to play for it.”

Johnson said with the pennant already secure, their next goal is to win the NPSA title and eventually represent the league in the Bahamas Softball Federation’s National Round Robin here in October.

Moss, a 10th grader at St Augustine’s College who celebrated her 15th birthday on Thursday, said she’s excited to be a member of the NPSA because it has helped to improve her game tremendously and made her a much better player.

Moss showed that when she was asked to step in to pull the team out of the tight squeeze in the bottom of the sixth after Symonette gave up a lead off walk to Lathonia Brown. She retired the Scorpions side in order.

And in the seventh after she helped the Wildcats to pull away for good on the offensive end, Moss came back and duplicated the feat in the bottom of the frame to end the game.

“I think I played good. I had a good performance tonight,” said Moss, who ended up going 2-for-4 with two runs batted in (RBI) and as many runs scored. “We played very well defensively and offensively.

“We could have brushed up in a few areas, but we just went out there and had a lot of fun.”

As the youngest player left in the league, Moss, the daughter of former player Rebecca Moss and coach Michael Moss and the sister of men’s pitcher, Victor Grant, said she’s just trying to play to the best of her ability in helping her team to succeed.

Her team came through in the seventh when they got the bases loaded and Latrell Dorsett got a RBI walk to bring home Maryann Ferguson with the game’s winning run.

Moss followed with a RBI double that plated Dorsett after Shonell Symonette scored the first insurance on an error and Vonetta Nairn got picked off trying to steal second.

Catcher Dornette Edwards knocked in Moss, her batting mate, with a two-out RBI single that also sent home Jeannette Hilton as the right fielder fumbled the ball. Edwards ended up on second where she was left stranded as Vantice Bowleg flied out.

Edwards ended up going 4-for-5 with two RBI, while Moss was joined by Ferguson, who also went 2-for-4 with two runs scored to pace the Wildcats, who got off to an explosive 3-run second inning and added another run in the fifth.

The Scorpions, who scored two runs in the third, one in the fourth and three more in the fifth, got a 2-for-3 night from Brown with a RBI and run scored to lead their offensive attack. Marissa Burrows was 2-for-4 with a RBI and run scored and Shirlene Mackey was 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.

In her start, Symonette gave up seven hits with a strike out before Moss came in and closed the door. Miller surrendered 13 hits with a strike out in a losing effort.

As a result of rained out games experienced over the last few days, the NPSA will attempt to play just about every night this week.

• See the schedule (top right) as they try to wind down the regular season and get the playoffs underway.