BDF IV rout Giants

THATO KALA
Correspondent | Monday May 6, 2013 00:00

The champions ran riot in the bottom one inning when they scored four runs before finishing off their opponents in the bottom three inning courtesy of the run ahead rule.Giants struggled in the game with some of their players, who are students at the University of Botswana, out of the team as they are preparing for examinations.

BDF's pitcher, Kagiso Mogale was outstanding in the top one inning when he got Giants' three batters out in successive fashion.When it was their turn to bat, the army side proved why they won the league with six games to go when they took a 4-0 lead.

They got their opening run through Jury Manaka following a Neo Mnqabisi smack to centre field.The soldiers extended their lead a few minutes later courtesy of an error by Giants' catcher who threw the ball to third base in an effort to get his teammate to tag out Tshepiso Mathame.His teammate missed the ball, allowing Mnqabisi, Kabo Matlho and Mathame to score three runs in succession.

The students were pathetic in the top two inning and failed to make any significant progress.Manaka registered his name on the score sheet in the bottom of the second inning following an error at third base.Giants continued in their slumber when it was their turn to bat in the top three inning.Their batters were all taken out early without making any progress.

BDF then killed it as a contest through two bottom three runs by Matlho and Mathame. Again, they got the runs after a Giants player fumbled an easy ball at centre field.Giants continued to struggle in the top four inning. Their search for a single run that would see them avoid the run ahead rule was in vain as their opponents pitched and fielded excellently.

Giants' situation was worsened when Tebogo Makacana was sent off in the top four for throwing a bat in retaliation against a decision made by internationally accredited umpire, Abel Mataboge.Straight after his ejection, their best batter, Mishael Thompson, was tagged out after his hit to third base was stopped by Obusitswe Lekgothu who quickly threw it to first base.

The bottom four inning was not fruitful for the soldiers but their win was confirmed when Giants failed to score a run in the top five inning.Lekgothu said their focus is now on the national championships that will draw the top four teams from the southagainst the northern top four sides.

'Having already qualified as zonal champions, we are now focusing on fine tuning our batting and fielding ahead of the championships.We lost to Scramblers last year and we will be wary this time around,' Lekgothu told Sport Monitor. Makacana said the examinations going on at UB had affected them as players were no longer able to honour games.  

Other results:Women: Police 13 - 6 Dinare; BDF IV 11 - 0 UB Giants.