The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The Sunshine Auto Wildcats, shaking off their season-opening loss on the night that they received their championship rings from last year, didn’t have any mercy on the Black Scorpions as they climbed into the winner’s circle in the ladies’ division of the New Providence Softball Association.

Last night in the Banker’s Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, the Wildcats went wild as they exploded to an easy 12-2 win over the Scorpions in an abbreviated four inning game that lasted less than one and-a-half hours.

Ace Mary ‘Cruise’ Sweeting, rebounding from the loss to the Johnson Lady Truckers on Friday night, was on cruise control as she gave up 11 hits and struck out six to pick up the win over Scorpions’ Marvel Miller, who is coming back from an injury she sustained during the playoffs last season.

Miller gave up six hits, walked six and struck out four in a losing effort.

“It feels really good to have a win,” said Sweeting after their 7-0 loss to the Lady Truckers. “The first game was a shutout, but I didn’t feel too bad because we had a lot of younger players playing, so it was good for them to get the experience. This game, they actually came around, so this year, our team is all about rebuilding, not really about winning.

“We’re trying to develop some younger players, so we’re not concerned. All we need to do is come fourth and make the playoffs. Once we come fourth, we know what time it is.”

While most teams are out to win the pennant to ensure that they are in the playoffs as the top seed, Sweeting said their focus is just getting one of the four spots. It doesn’t matter which one because they feel they come around late in the season and do more damage than during the first part of the season.

Sunshine Auto did enough damage against the Black Scorpions last year, taking an early 4-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning, extending it to 7-2 in the second and surging ahead 11-2 in the third. Then in the fourth, they added their final run as Joventhe Rose knocked in Tia Dorsett on a run-producing double for the game stoppage.

Jeanette Hilton, last year’s batting champion, played her first game for the season and picked up where she left off by going 2-for-2 with three RBI and three runs scored to lead the Wildcats. Rose and Candice Smith were both 1-for-1 with three runs scored and Dorsett was 1-for-1 with a run scored.

Although she suffered the loss on the mound, Miller paced the Scorpions by going 2-for-3 with a RBI. Natasha Paul was 1-for-3 with a run scored and Lochelle Albury was 1-for-2 with the other run scored. Shirlene Mackey was 1-for-3 and Maria Pelecanos was 2-for-2.

Pelacanos admitted that it wasn’t the type of performance they had anticipated.

“Our pitcher is still not 100 per cent from last year,” she said of Miller. “She’s pitching with a big knot in her arm, so that was why we had so many walks. This was the first time that she has pitched since last year. Anybody who knows Marvel Miller knows that she doesn’t pitch like that.”

This year, however, Pelacanos indicated that they have gotten some help with about two younger players whom they intend to insert into the pitching line-up. When they come back out tonight to play the College of the Bahamas Lady Caribs in a make-up game that was rained out on Saturday, they hope to use one of them.

That is, according to Pelacanos, if Miller doesn’t ask for the ball.

Here’s a look at this weekend’s fixture:

Tonight

7pm - College of the Bahamas Lady Caribs vs Black Scorpions (L)

8:30pm - Chances Mighty Mitts vs BTC Elite Warriors (M)

Saturday

7pm - College of the Bahamas Lady Caribs vs Johnson Lady Truckers (L)

8:30pm - JMEL Panthers vs Iradez Hitmen (M)