The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

As expected, the New Providence Softball Association has reduced its best-of-five playoff series to a best-of-three showdown as a result of the damage left to the Banker’s Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

According to NPSA president Henry Dean, Hurricane Matthew knocked out power to the facility at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, forcing the association to play their games on the weekend during the day.

“We are reducing it to the best-of-three series for the playoffs and the championship will be a best-of-five series,” said Dean after they made a decision yesterday as they attempt to get completed with their championship before the Bahamas Softball Federation’s National Round Robin at the end of the month.

“We will play four games on Saturday starting at 11am and play again on Sunday starting at 1pm. We will finish the first round because all of the teams have played one game each, so the winners need to win one more game and if they lose, they will finish up on Sunday.”

Before the passing of Hurricane Matthew, the pennant winning Lady Wildcats took a 1-0 lead over the Bommer G Lady Operators and the Lady Truckers went up 1-0 on the defending champions Lady Stingers.

The men’s division saw the pennant winning C&S Hitmen take a 1-0 lead over the Mighty Mitts and the defending champions Commando Security Truckers are up 1-0 over the BTC Elite Warriors.

In the aftermath of the passage of Hurricane Matthew, Dean said the Banker’s field itself has not had any damage, but there is a lot of debris around the field and there is no power.

“There’s no power in the area and the lights have been damaged, it’s unfair to impose on BEC or the authorities to restore light here when homes are not lit,” Dean said.

“So we are going to play during the day.”

The best-of-five championships are anticipated to get underway on Saturday, October 22 and should be concluded on Sunday, October 23.

The BSF Nationals for the championship teams from the various island associations are scheduled for the weekend of October 27-30 at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.

There’s no word from the BSF on whether or not the nationals will go on as planned. There has been extensive damage to the four fields at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex where the nationals intend to play during the day before switching to the Banker’s Field for the night games.