The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

TEAM Bahamas is off to an impressive start against the best youth competition in the region in a bid to become the region’s qualifier for the Little League World Series.

The Under-12 team from the Freedom Farm Baseball League is 2-0 thus far at the Caribbean Regional qualifying tournament at the Quintin Hernandez Stadium in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico.

Participating teams include defending Caribbean champions Los Bravos de Pontezuela (Santiago, Dominican Republis), Aruba Center (Santa Cruz, Aruba), Pabao (Willemstad, Curacao), Radames Lopez (Guayama, Puerto Rico A), Gino Vega (Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico B) and District 1 (St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands). Freedom Farm scored a 10-3 win over Sabana Grande yesterday for their second win of the tournament. Tavano Baker got the win on the mound.

In game one, Freedom Farm defeated the team from the Dominican Republic 3-2. Cleve Sutherland gave the Farmers the go ahead run with his single in the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs. Andru Arthur was the winning pitcher.

The Bahamas will face District 1 from USVI 10am today at Wifo Montalvo Stadium. Tomorrow, they face another Puerto Rican home team - Radames Lopez at the same venue. Freedom Farm will close out preliminary play Wednesday against Pabao back at Quintin Hernandez.

The semi-final rounds follow on Thursday and the tournament concludes with the championship and consolation game on Friday.

The winner of the tournament will advance to play in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Each of the eight international regions - Asia-Pacific, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Europe-Africa, Japan, Latin America and Mexico - will contest their regional tournaments this month.

The United States Divisions take place in early August.

The Little League Baseball World Series is set for August 16-26 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Over the course of 30 days, approximately 935 Little Leaguers age 10-16 from nearly 80 different baseball and softball teams around the world will compete to determine the seven World Series Champions for 2018.