Flawless Scramblers win Softball title again

THATO KALA
Correspondent | Monday May 27, 2013 00:00

The BDF IX had to endure playing an extra game to book a berth in the final after losing the group toppers' tie.The first two innings were fairly balanced with the two army sides failing to score. Scramblers broke the deadlock in the bottom three inning courtesy of successive runs by Lesego Gaotimane and Gofaone Monkemedi.

BDF IX made a positional change in the top two inning with Mothusi Shalobane moving to pitch in place of Obonetse Makala. But they lived to rue the decision as they conceded Scramblers' first four runs after the switch.They could have levelled scores in the top three, but were let down by poor batting. A home run by Scramblers' Bathobasele Modishotsile, the only one of the game, stretched the lead before Monkemedi added another after a Rannaneng Mothudi hit.

Realising the earlier positional switch was costing them, BDF reversed the change taking back Makala to his pitching position. But it was too late as they were already trailing 4-0. BDF IX pulled two back in the top five inning through Matshediso Molemi and Manaka after a clever bunt by Obusitswe Lekgothu. They could have added another, but substitute Moses Tshaila was taken out on three strikes with Lekgothu settled at third base. BDF were excellent at the start of the bottom five inning when they tagged out Zikhale and Erne Makgetho in similar style at first base.

But their catcher, Neo Mngqibisi cost them when he reacted late to Godfrey Mosimanemang's run towards the home plate. Modisaotsile then killed it as a contest when he scored the sixth with less than 20 minutes to go.BDF IX's final inning was disastrous with all three batters taken out after three strikes. First base Lekgothu gave credit to the Francistown side, refusing to blame defeat on fatigue.

'We came into the final wanting to outclass them, but they must be given credit because they played a better game. They exposed us to a level of competition we never experienced in our zonal league,' Lekgothu told Sport Monitor .

Meanwhile, Vikings' star, Sean Ntshepe was named most valuable player of the tournament despite his team's third finish.  He walked away with P1,000. Mothudi was singled out as the best catcher while his teammates, Gaotimane and Garogwe were named best batter and best pitcher respectively. They each got P800. For winning the league, Scramblers went away P18,000 richer while BDF got P16,000. Third finishers Vikings received P13,000.