The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the defending champions St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine rolling away with the junior boys’ division, the battle for the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ playoffs intensified with the second and third place teams hooking up.

With both teams losing their only game to the Big Red Machine, the Charles W Saunders Cougars avoided dropping another one as they pulled off a 7-2 win over the Queen’s College Comets.

With the win yesterday at Queen’s College, the Cougars improved their win-loss record to 3-1, while the Comets dropped to 3-2.

“Our boys played well. We had a couple of hiccups here and there, but overall our boys played well,” said Charles W Saunders’ coach Brad Wood Jr.

“I think our weakest point right now is the outfield. They know how to catch the ball, but they need to work on tracking it. That is what we need to work on.”

Having finished third in the league last year, Wood Jr said their projection is to go all the way this year and that is to dethrone the Big Red Machine, whom they felt got away with a two-run victory after they made on a few errors.

Queen’s College, on the other hand, was simply beaten, said coach Adam Waterhouse.

“The opponents were strong and unfortunately we made too many errors on the field,” Waterhouae said.

“We have two more games this week against Jordan Prince Wiliams on Thursday and a make-up against Nassau Christian Academy on Friday before we play our final game next week.

“We will make the playoffs. Once we do, we have to cut down on our errors and re-arrange our attack. We took too many balls today. We can’t do that if we are going to be successful.”

Nathan Darling gave up three hits and struck out four for the win on the mound for Charles W Saunders.

In a losing effort for Queen’s College, Kevon Marshall surrendered eight hits with three strike outs.

After their first batter struck out in the top of the first inning, the Cougars roared to put three runs on the scoreboard on a two-run in-the-park home run from Pheron Moss, driving in Rashad Knowles, while Davante Brown had a run-producing double to score Preston Cartwright.

However, Marshall settled down and struck out two of the final three Cougars’ batters he faced to end the rally.

The Comets responded in the bottom of the frame after their first batter also struck out to get their first run as Ajai Hart drilled a shot to right field for a triple and he came home on a throwing error on the same play.

In the second inning, Charles W Saunders put the game pout of reach as they added three more runs, thanks to Cartwright’s two-run triple to plate Bryieas Dean and Knowles before he came home on an error.

It wasn’t until the fourth when the Cougars scored again with one out when Knowles walked, stole second, got to third on an error and came home on another.

And in the bottom of the frame, Alantonio Knowles got the second and final run for the Comets after he single, moved up to third on two consecutive walks and caught a ride home on Garomme Hanna’s RBI fielder’s choice.

Both teams came up with a big defensive play in the fifth, but it was Charles W Saunders who had the most effective, preventing Queen’s College from scoring at the plate with the second out and the third on the game ending play at third.