The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Sunshine Auto Wildcats and the Chances Mighty Mitts clinched their berths into the New Providence Softball Association ladies’ and men’s championship series on Saturday night.

In the double header in the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex, the Wildcats out-slugged the Lady Truckers 14-9 in the opener and the Mighty Mitts routed the Renegades 18-3 in the men’s feature contest.

The Wildcats will now await the winner of the other half of the ladies’ series between the R&B Operators and the Black Scorpions, while the Mighty Mitts will take their chances against the Cyber Tech Blue Marlins in the men’s final.

R&B Operators hold a 2-1 lead going into the line game to be played on Tuesday at 8 pm. If the Operators win, both the men and ladies finals will begin on Thursday. But if the Scorpions win, game five of the series will be played on Thursday and both finals will begin on Saturday.

Here’s a look at the NPSA double header played on Saturday night:

Wildcats 14, Lady Truckers 9: Tyrice Davis, giving mainstay Thela Stevens a break on the mound, helped her own cause as the winning pitcher with a perfect 4-for-4 night as she completed the cycle with a single, double, triple and home run with three runs batted in and scored four runs to buck Sunshine Auto’s ticket to the ladies’ final.

Stevens went 1-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored to help out offensively; Lynette Kelly was 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored and Kenya Forbes was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Sari Albury suffered the loss as the Black Scorpions got eliminated. Albury was also 3-for-4 with a double, triple, five RBI and a run scored and Audrinique Lamone was 2-for-3 with three runs scored.

The Wildcats opened the game with seven runs on five hits in the first inning and two added two more runs in the second and fourth and three in the sixth. The Black Scorpions got one run in the first, two in the second, three in the fourth and three in the fifth.

Mighty Mitts 18, Renegades 3: Martin Burrows Jr picked up the win on the mound as Chances took their chance on their back up pitcher to seal the deal as they clinched their berth into the men’s final.

Demeako Saunders suffered the loss as the Renegades were ousted from the postseason.

Steffon ‘Skinny’ McKenzie went a perfect 3-for-3 with a homer, drove in six runs and scored three times to lead the Mighty Mitts offensively. Philip Johnson was 2-for-2 with a double, two RBI and three run scored; Chris McPhee was 2-for-3 wirth a pair of doubles, as many RBI and a run scored and Junel Bain was 1-for-2 with a RBI and a run scored.

The Mighty Mitts produced nine runs on six hits in the first inning, six more runs in the second three more in the third on two hits in both innings  in their abbreviated win.

Nathj Miller was 1-for-1 with a double, an RBI and a run scored for the Renegades, who scored two runs in the first inning and one more in the third on a hit in each inning.

Tuesday’s schedule

8 pm R&B Operators vs Black Scorpions (L). If WScorpions win, they will play the fifth and deciding game on Thursday at 8 pm. If the Operators win, they will play the Wildcats in game one of the ladies’ final at 7 pm, followed by the men’s series between the Blue Marlins and the Mighty Mitts.

If there’s a fifth and deciding game on Thursday, then both the ladies and men’s finals will get started on Saturday night.