Softball Federation’s 2024 Fast Pitch Season Gets Underway  

Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. The Belize Softball Federation’s 2024 Fast Pitch Season is officially underway. The back-to-back national champions Beacon started off the Mother’s Day weekend with a game on Friday against Lady Impact inside Roger’s Stadium.

 

The game is now at the bottom of the first inning. Lady Impact was unable to secure a run at the bottom of the first. Beacon’s number thirty inside the batter’s box with two strikes and two balls. She hits the ball towards third base. The fielder fumbled, and she makes it safe to first base. Beacon’s Sharette Vernon came from behind with a smooth bunt that gets her to first and her teammate to second. On the first pitch after that play, two Beacon runners stole bases. Runners are now on second and third. The third batter knocked the ball towards first base. She did not get there in time, but her teammate was able to secure the first run. With Vernon now on third base, Jasany Westby hits a ground ball towards second. She also did not make, but Vernon got home safe, two runs in the first inning.

 

Beacons were up three runs to zero at the bottom of the fourth inning. Number twenty-four Shadelle Ho started off the bottom inning inside the batter’s box. Ho walks to first base after the pitcher pitched four balls. Number twenty-two Rebeca Nicholson came from behind with a hit that went flying past both the third base fielder and the short stop. She made it to second base. With runners on second and third, another Beacons player made it on. A bad pitch from Lady Impact’s pitcher led Ho to steal a base and count the run. Number twenty Kayla Henry got out of the batter’s box, but she did not make it to first. Her teammate, Rebecca Nicholson, however, made it home. Again here, another bad pitch sent a third Beacon runner home. Three runs in one inning, the game ended at the bottom of the fifth, seven runs to zero in favor of the Beacons.

 

From Softball we move into some football action. We continue to follow the Anthony Mahler Under-Thirteen Mundialito Tournament. These young and promising athletes are being molded by their coaches to one day represent Belize on the world stage. For now, they are competing inside Berger Field. The first match of the day was between Port F.C and Phoenix F.C. Nine minutes into the match, in the first period, Port F.C.’s Errol Gentle scored off a corner kick. The ball bounced in front of the goalkeeper and went into the net. The young athlete celebrated with some back flips. Young Kiven Brown opened the third period with a second goal for Port F.C from inside the penalty box. And only four minutes later he would do it again, finding his footing and sending the ball across the goalkeeper’s head and into the net. Port F.C came out on top, three goals to zero.

 

In the first female match of the day Goal Getters played against Phoenix F.C.’s female team. That match ended in a tie with zero goals apiece.  In the third Saturday morning match, Ladyville Rising Stars took on Ebony Lake. Rising Stars scored six goals in total. Ebony Lake was unable to secure a single goal this time around. Rising Star’s first goal was scored at the kick-off from midfield. Nigel Hulse sent the ball lower than the goalkeeper was able to reach in time. The ball bounced into the net. In the second period, beats the defenders, makes room for himself inside the penalty box, faces off with the goalkeeper and fires into the net. And here is some team celebration in front of the camera by Ladyville Rising Stars. Fredrick Garbutt scored the third goal. Ebony Lake was unable to clear the ball from near the goal. The Rising Stars capitalized on that and after several attempts Garbutt scored the goal. Again, that game ended with six goals to zero.

 

Belize Elite Basketball League is now heading into its 2024 playoffs season. Two “best of three” series will be played in the first round of the playoffs. Benny’s Belize Hurricanes, the number one seed, and Dangriga Dream Ballers, the number four seed, will begin their series on Friday night inside the Belize City Civic Center. The San Pedro Tiger Sharks and the Belize City Defenders will begin their series on Sunday afternoon, also inside the Belize City Civic Center. And as we head into the playoffs, the question on the minds of BEBL fans is, who will be the 2024 regular season MVP.

 

 

 

Four athletes have been identified. They are the Belize City Defender’s Nigel Jones. Benny’s Belize Hurricanes’ Bourama Sidebe, San Pedro Tiger Shark’s Jihad Wright and the Dangriga Dream Baller’s Delvon Henderson. The league’s executive says the winner will be selected by a voting panel of one hundred ballots distributed across all spectrums of the Belize basketball landscape, including owners, managers, coaches, media, past players, etc. The results will be announced during the BEBL Finals. Our question to you is, who do you think is most deserving of this title from the players listed? Let us know in the comments.

 

 

And finally for tonight, Verdes Football Club won their first match against Port Loyola Football Club in the Premier League of Belize’s 2023-2024 Closing Season Finals. The first game of the finals was played on Sunday inside the Marion Jones Sporting Complex. Verdes won that match one goal to zero. They are set to face off against Port F.C. over the weekend in the second and final leg of the championship. We will continue to follow.

 

Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.