Rail Giants dominate softball qualifiers
Koketso Kgoboge | Tuesday June 23, 2015 14:05
The Mahalapye based outfit’s men and women’s teams progressed to the finals that will be held in Selebi-Phikwe next month.
Rail Giants men began their account crushing Serowe’s Raptures 15-3, and then giving rookies Ghetto Yankees of Francistown a free lesson 16-7, before walloping Orapa’s Rebels 13-0, to ascend to the top of the group.
Their women counterparts got the better of their main opponents Motlakase who were also tournament favourites and boosted home ground advantage, then mercilessly demolished Ghetto Yankees 12-0 afterwards, beating Carets 7-0, and forfeited their last game against Raptures as they had already qualified.
Despite a humiliating 7-0 loss to Rail Giants, which came after their opening 16-7 victory against Raptures, Carats women recovered to beat hosts Motlakase 11-6 and Ghetto Yankees 13-12 to claim second spot.
Motlakase women however managed to hold their nerves and bounced back from two defeats, beating Raptures 18-13 and Ghetto Yankees 7-6 to grab the last berth.
Meanwhile, Carats men automatically qualified after finishing first in pool B, thanks to a run-against rule after all the teams in the group managed one win each. Carats beat Motlakase 10-0, Motlakase beat Deltas 8-2 and Deltas beat Carats 8-7. With the rule, Carats came first, Motlakase second and Deltas last as a team that conceded a lot.
The last berth in the man’s category had to be settled in the play-offs which was down to Rebels, Raptures who finished second and third in pool A, respectively, a group comprised of four teams and Motlakase who finished second in pool B which only comprised of three teams.
Raptures edged out Motlakase 2-0 before they met Rebels. Raptures however felt hard done as they went into their third consecutive game and most importantly, the decider for the last berth.
Rebels sensed the fatigue in their opponents and stormed into the game acquiring four runs in the first opening, before completing their rout with eight runs to nil, taking the last spot in the men’s category.
Rail Giants, Carats and Rebels will represent the northern zone men in the Extravaganza, while Rail Giants, Carats and Motlakase will be the zone’s hopefuls in the women’s category.
The finals will be played over President Day holidays in July.