Panthers End BDF's Winning Streak

Thato Kala | Tuesday March 4, 2014 08:24

The army side won the southern league unbeaten last season and had gone into the second round without a loss. But a spirited performance by Panthers over the weekend put their dominance to an end.

The match started off at a slow pace on a wet pitch as it was drizzling.

The first inning was simply a game of pitchers with BDF’s Blanc Shalobane and his Panthers counterpart Tony Moyo stealing the show with some good pitching.

Panthers started off on the bat, but their runners did not get on bases. It was the same when the soldiers took to the home plate.

Panthers opened the scoring through Elliot Kgatlhanang, who got a base before being set up for a run by Mazebedi Bakang.

The soldiers made little progress when it was their turn to bat. Panthers added another run through Mazebedi in the top four inning. He struck an immaculate three-base hit before completing his run off a Tony Moyo hit to make it 2-0. In the bottom of that inning, Kgatlhanang made an error, allowing Matshidiso Molemi to get BDF their first run.

Panthers’ teenage sensation Sephekolo Tlotlo turned hero in the top five inning when his well struck hit got his team two successive runs.

BDF had given Moyo and Tiro Mazulugwa free bases, perhaps thinking they would have it easy with the youngster.

But the boy hit the ball past first base, allowing Moyo and Mazulugwa to make it 4-1.

The army side only managed to pull one back in the bottom five inning courtesy of a home run by Kabo Matlho.

Thereafter, veteran pitcher Moyo put his experience to good use when he struck out three players successively.

BDF’s Matlho said it was Panthers’ day and vowed they would revenge the next time they face their rivals.

“It was Panthers’ day; we look forward to meeting them again. We lost because of poor offence. We cannot blame the weather because both teams were playing on the same pitch,” he said. Mazebedi attributed the win to their good offence.

“It was a fairly challenging game; we won the game because we had some good offence.”Meanwhile, the ladies’ match between Panthers and Police IX had to be stopped due to the rains. Police had earlier beaten Vikings 9-3. Vikings went on to lose 11-3 to Wells.

In other men’s league matches, Blue Angels fell 5-8 to Gatalamotho while Wells handed Stingers a 19-5 thrashing.