The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

KELVIN Silvania, making the adjustment from playing baseball, cracked a pair of home runs to help Aruba pull off a 8-5 victory over the British Virgin Islands in the English Caribbean Amateur Softball Confederation’s first Men’s Softball Championship.

Thursday night’s game in the Banker’s Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex was played just before the four-day double elimination tournament between four countries was officially opened by Prime Minister Perry Christie.

In the late game, the host Bahamas was scheduled to play Cayman Islands. However, no score was available up to press time last night. The Bahamas will be back on the field today to play the opening match at 2pm against British Virgin Islands and will close out the day against Aruba at 9pm.

Among the list of dignitaries joining Christie during the opening ceremony were Rev Dr William Thompson, president of the Bahamas National Baptist Missionary and Educational Convention, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchombe, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson, Wellington Miller, president of the Bahamas Olympic Committee, Burkett Dorsett, president of the ECASC and the Bahamas Olympic Committee and Dale McMann, president of the International Softball Federation.

McMann, the night before, performed the ceremony that saw Rommell Knowles and Oria Wood-Knowles go as the 14th and 15th Bahamians enshrined in the ISF’s Hall of Fame at Government House (see photos on 5E) on Wednesday night.

Aruba 8, BVI 5

Silvania, in his first at-bat in the top of the first inning, belted the first homer to give his team a 1-0 lead. The first baseman, batting third in their line-up, added a lead off triple and scored a run in a two-run third, but in a four-run sixth, he drilled a three-run shot almost in the same exact spot as the first one to extend their lead to 8-2.

“It’s my first time playing international fast-pitch softball and it was great doing it in the Bahamas. This is my first time here,” said the 24-year-old. “I really like the experience.

“The Virgin Islands is a good team but we are expecting more from the Bahamas because we heard they are the strongest team here, so we are looking forward to playing them.”

While Silvania got on base on four trips at the plate, including a two-out walk in the fourth, Aruba also got a pair of hits from shortstop Eldrick Dijkhoff, third baseman Edward Cannister and catcher Edgar Flanegan. Cannister also had two RBI and a run scored, Dijkhoff scored a run and Flanegin had a RBI.

The British Virgin Islands got their first two runs on consecutive walks as Aruba had to go through a pitching change in the first inning with Julius Veeris replacing starter Jomark Flanegin.

BVI didn’t strike again until the seventh, scoring three more runs as Veeris started to labour. Catcher Nateshon Thomas started the late rally with a solo homer on the first pitch. Jamal Allen came up with a RBI triple to plate Rhodni Shelton after he singled and Rico Penn had a RBI single to knock in Allen.

They threatened with one out after Allison Leonard walked. But as he attempted to get to second, Penn got picked off for the second out. Shamon Dagon then singled and as he attempted to run to second, he was picked off by Silvania at first to end the game.

THE SCHEDULE

TODAY

2pm - Bahamas vs British Virgin Islands

3:30pm - Cayman Islands vs Aruba

7:30pm - Cayman Islands vs British Virgin Islands

9pm - Aruba vs Bahamas

SATURDAY

10am - British Virgin Islands vs Cayman Islands

11:30am - British Virgin Islands vs Bahamas

1pm - Bahamas vs Aruba

2:30pm - Aruba vs Cayman Islands

8pm - Bahamas vs Cayman Islands

9:30pm - British Virgin Islands vs Aruba

SUNDAY

1pm - 4 vs 3 Loser Elimination

3pm - 2 vs 1 Winner advances to gold-medal game

5pm - Bronze-medal game

7pm - Gold-medal game