The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THEY came up just short in the BAISS senior boys softball championship series last season, but the CW Saunders Cougars have already set their sights on correcting those mistakes and making a run at the 2014 title.

The Cougars moved to 2-0 yesterday with a dominant performance at home in a 23-8 win over the Kingsway Academy Saints.

The game was stopped in the bottom of the fourth inning when Cardon Chase stole home for the game’s final run, enforcing the 15-run mercy rule.

Offensively, the Cougars were led by Tre Ferguson who was 4-4 at the plate including a pair of doubles, Kristin Fulford was 3-3, and Khawan Dames went 2-3, including a home run.

Pitcher Chron Wallace was a force both on the mound and at the plate. He struck out seven Saints batters and helped his own cause going 3-4, including an in the park home-run in the fourth inning.

Wallace, a senior leader for the Cougars squad, said for his team to finish the job and prevent coming up short in the championship again, the pitching rotation needs to improve.

“Today we didn’t play very well but we still came out with the victory, we didn’t hit as good as we expected, but our defence was okay and that’s what led us to the victory today,” Wallace said. “Our defence can get better but pitching is what we need, that’s all it will take to get us over the top. We got the bats, it’s just the pitching. We just have to throw strikes, it’s not about the speed and how fast we pitch but it’s all about control.”

Cougars manager Brad Wood said his team still has much room for improvement just two games into the young season.

“I was not satisfied with the performance but I’ll take the win,” he said. “We didn’t hit the ball like we are capable of hitting the ball but like I said I will take the win and look forward to improving. Our bat speed is a little bit slow right now, but it’s something that we can work on and improve over time. If those little improvements can continue coming around I think we will be good in the long run.”

Last year in the senior boys division, the three game championship series went down to the wire with the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine overcoming a 1-0 deficit to take the series in three games.

Both Wood and his pitching ace said they expect their greatest test to come from the Big Red Machine and the Jordan Prince William Falcons.

Wood said: “I think this year is going to be tough, I understand that Prince Will now has a pitcher that came down from Eleuthera so they are going to be in the midst as contenders. So I think it will be a battle between us, SAC and Prince Will at the end of the season.”

Wallace said: “We expect a challenge from the top schools, Prince Will and SAC, but at the end of the day we are ready for anyone and ready to come out on top.”

The playoffs are scheduled to begin on November 4 and the championship series on November 10.