The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Wolverines came from Spanish Wells, Eleuthera and got in their first match against the Mario Ford Baseball Camp at the Windsor Park on Saturday. Although they left, having lost 6-5, the team is confident that they will bounce back when they return this weekend.

The Wolvernies will engage in a five-week exchange programme with the Mario Ford Baseball Camp and the Junior Baseball League of Nassau before they host both organisations to a series of games in Spanish Wells.

Against the Mario Ford Camp, the Wolverines struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the third and added three more in the fourth. However, they watched as the Mario Ford Camp responded with all of their six runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Wolverines came up with another run in the fifth and left two runners in scoring position as the Mario Ford Camp held on for the initial win.

Without an active league in Eleuthera this year, Wolverines’ head coach Michael Boykin said they were able to secure sufficient funding to allow their 10 players to make the trip here for the next five weeks to play.

“We prayed about it and God told us that we need to go to Nassau to play,” said Boykin, who came here with two assistant coaches. “We play Mario’s team in the mornings for five weekends and then we play JBLN in the afternoons.

“We have been pleased to see and hear what Mario is doing with the kids and so we really want to support that. Not only are we playing the games, but we have a lot of baseball uniforms and equipment that was donated to us and so from time to time, when we come here, we will be bringing some of that for him to use with his league.”

Boykin said although they fell short of a victory, he was pleased to see how his players were able to shake off the rust and come together at the end.

Zeke Pinder, a 14-year-old team member, said they are all excited to get this opportunity to play the series of games.

“We were a little sluggish in the last couple of innings, but I think we will be alright,” Pinder said. “We are looking to get better so that when we come back, we will get the win. We just need to work on a few things like getting the ground balls and hitting the ball.”

Ford, now hosting the league for the 26th year, said they are delighted to be able to host the Wolverines before they play in the JBLN.

“It’s something that was in the making for some time. Me and Mike spoke years ago and so it didn’t just happen over night,” Ford said. “I’m happy that we finally got it done and that he’s contributing those equipments and uniforms to our programme. This is what the kids need and this is what we have been asking for.”

In preparation for the rest of the tournament, Ford said there is still a lot more work that they have to do to bring the park up to playing standard, but they hope to have a better environment for the Wolverines to play in when they return this weekend to continue the series.

As for his team’s performance, Ford said he was able to mix it up, combining his high school players with the junior high players and he intends to allow the players to get in the exposure before they go to Spanish Wells for the exchange at the end of the five weeks here.

Over at the JBLN at the St Andrew’s Field of Dreams, the Mariners routed Spanish Wells 17-6 in their first encounter in the junior division (13-15 years old).