BOLD statements were made last week in the local softball scene, as decisive showdowns resulted in a new leader ascending to the top of the table.
Headlining the action, the Ferryspeed Falcons faced the previously unbeaten Marwyn Jersey Royals, with the top of the table spot up for grabs.
Although there was promise of a hotly contested fixture, the Falcons soared past their rivals with a commanding display of power and poise, taking an early lead and maintaining pressure throughout.
The Royals showed signs of a late comeback, but the Falcon’s strong batting and calm defensive play was simply too much to overcome. The Falcons won 19-8 and launched to the summit of Division 1 in style.
That wasn’t the end of it for the new division leaders, as the Eagles stepped up to tackle the Falcons in the afternoon, taking it down to the wire.
After such a dominant display against a top side in the Royals, this fixture told a different story, with the Eagles pushing the Falcons all the way.
A brilliant performance from the Eagles would have certainly boosted hopes of an upset victory, seeing the Falcons trail for much of the game. However, the new table-toppers weren’t prepared to give up their spot just yet, showing their immense resilience to surge back into action late on in the game.
As their defence improved, and clutch offensive play swung in their favour, the Falcons pulled off a magical 19-16 comeback victory, sealing a huge double-header sweep to cement their position at the top.
Since then however, the Marwyn Royals have climbed back to the top of the table, dominating the CorefocusX Cubs 21-3 to reclaim their spot. As the Falcons still have a game in hand, only three points behind the table-toppers, all eyes will be on this enthralling title race, with everything still to play for.
The Falcons weren’t alone facing the challenge of a double-header on the day, as the Atom Pirates and 3Ci Sport Flyers were also in the same boat.
It was an explosive start for the Pirates, lighting up the plate to blast through the CorefocusX Cubs 21-7 and commence their day in dominant fashion. It wasn’t all bad for the Cubs, who found some defensive rhythm in the dying embers, but unfortunately it was a case of too little, too late.
Yes, they had a dream start, but unfortunately the Pirates couldn’t carry that into their next encounter against the Jacksons Phoenix, falling short 3-7 in a defensive-heavy encounter. That marked an important triumph for the Phoenix, proving their mettle in the top division.
The Flyers were unstoppable in their opening fixture of the day, going out all guns blazing to brush aside the Base Invaders 20-1.
No matter where the game went, there were no holes to be found in the Flyers’ game, which surely boosted confidence going into the second fixture.
Their second outing offered a tighter, lower scoring contest, taking on the Raiders. After falling to the Raiders earlier in the season, the Flyers didn’t let this opportunity of redemption fall by the wayside, with their sheer grit and determination driving them ahead to avenge the previous loss and seal their two-game sweep, at 9-7.
A double-header sweep would be hard to top for the Flyers, but they certainly put on a show in the following mid-week session, picking up right where they left off to dismantle the Express Auto Parts Tigerz 29-10. What a week for the Flyers’ side, who are still very much in contention at third place, six points behind the Falcons while holding two games in hand.
The Henderson Green Giants showed their class against the Express Auto Parts Tigerz, in a shut-out 11-0 victory. Runs were hard to come by, especially given the Giants’ defensive clinic, but the eventual winners made their chances count while giving their rivals no room to respond.
Following that, only one other fixture took place on Thursday’s mid-week session, as the Base Invaders brushed themselves off to bounce back from the weekend’s crushing loss, beating the Pitcher & Le Quesne Titans 25-16 in a cinematic affair.
Division 1
| P | W | L | RF | RA | RD | Pts | |
| Martwyn Jersey Royals | 11 | 10 | 1 | 83 | 73 | +10 | 30 |
| Ferryspeed Falcons | 10 | 9 | 1 | 74 | 54 | +20 | 27 |
| Atom Pirates | 11 | 8 | 3 | 77 | 78 | -1 | 24 |
| 3CI Sport Flyers | 8 | 7 | 1 | 98 | 52 | +46 | 21 |
| Jacksons Phoenix | 12 | 6 | 6 | 83 | 118 | -35 | 18 |
| Raiders | 15 | 6 | 9 | 152 | 192 | -40 | 18 |
Division 2
| P | W | L | RF | RA | RD | Pts | |
| Base Invaders | 14 | 8 | 6 | 182 | 109 | +73 | 24 |
| Eagles | 12 | 7 | 5 | 142 | 84 | +58 | 21 |
| Henderson Green Giants | 13 | 6 | 7 | 149 | 103 | +46 | 18 |
| Express Auto Parts Tigerz | 13 | 4 | 9 | 133 | 118 | +15 | 12 |
| CorefocusX Cubs | 13 | 1 | 12 | 75 | 148 | -73 | 3 |
| Pitcher&Le Quense Titans | 11 | 0 | 11 | 79 | 198 | -119 | 0 |
Windsor Invitational
Before that entertaining blockbuster weekend, local travelling team Bean Machine Softball clinched the Plate Final at the Windsor Invitational.
Hosted by Maidenhead Softball Club, the impressive ‘Beans’ capped off a competitive weekend in the Intermediate division with a thrilling comeback win over the London Asteroids.
After a mixed bag of results in Saturday’s group stage, including wins over MH Spartans and MK Diamonds, the team battled through Sunday’s Plate round robin, overcoming the Reading Blue Jays in a dominant semi-final performance 21-5 before turning the tables on the Asteroids in the final.
Trailing by two runs heading into the last inning, Bean Machine put their foot down with eight runs and held firm in a tense defensive finish to seal the victory.
Captain Ricardo Sousa praised the team’s spirit, saying: “I’m so pleased for the team to come away with this result. That was a hard-fought weekend and the softball on display was outstanding.”
“It was great to be in the field with so many familiar faces and also meet new ones. Our focus is on everyone enjoying the experience and taking any wins as bonuses.”
The team voted for their Most Valuable Player awards, which went to Holly Widdowson and the captain Sousa himself.
Bean Machine now look ahead to Solent Lastball in September for their next off-island competition.
