Rail Giants Tighten Top Of Table Grip
Koketso Kgoboge | Monday February 11, 2019 13:18
Motlakase softball team hosted the games here over the weekend. Sua Raiders defeated the hosts in the opening match of the day by six runs to three. The game was followed by the absorbing Raptures and Rail Giants affair. The Serowe side had a dream start against the northern giants. Giants played top in the game and Scramblers pitcher Abel Nare ensured they did not register a run in the first opening.
Giants pitcher, Sean Ntshebe, returned the favour although he walked two runners into the bases, but did enough to deny the opponents a run at home in the bottom one inning.
The game took a twist in the bottom three. Ntshebe walked four players, and Raptures took full advantage and profited. They registered four points in the inning. Giants coach, Batsile Mokenti, swiftly changed Ntshebe for the more experienced Romeo Tshelametsi. Mokenti said he feared Raptures would continue to score and put them under unnecessary pressure.
“Tshelametsi would not allow them free moves, and I wanted to ensure he holds them to allow us to come from behind,” he said. His plan was timely, and Tshelametsi immediately ended the inning without letting a run in. Katlego Mokobi and Lame Motswagole pulled two back for Giants in the top four to make it 4-2. Raptures responded with a Frank Mosimanegape homerun to take a 5-2 lead. After the home run, Tshelametsi displayed his experience in the centre of the mound with a variation of pitches and his fielders tightened the screws to deny Raptures any more goals.
The margin was cut to one after Kenny Assani and Motswagole contributed two points in the fifth inning. Raptures panicked and made a mess of their throws. In the last inning, Giants came back strong.
Tshelametsi levelled matters before Thuto Madikwe, Mokobi and substitute Thatayaone Bagopi rounded up the game 8-5. The Mahalapye outfit is now six points clear of Carats that was not in action over the weekend. Mokenti said he knew they will walk out winners but bemoaned conceding unnecessarily. Despite a messy start, the Giants coach was happy with the result.“We just need to respect our opponents more, fight hard and prepare for stronger contests.
We should become good representatives of the north when we are called to, we owe it to ourselves.” Raptures coach, Albert Kenosi, said his young charges were foiled by pressure and lack of experience. He said they made massive mistakes because of stage fright, but there were glimpses of intelligent play. “They are young players, we are building and we are in the right direction,” he said.
Giants had worked out Raptures. Ghetto Yankees took advantage and crushed the fatigued Raptures 8-0. In the women’s games played at the same venue Rail Giants beat Raptures 16-4, Yankees women added to Raptures woes with an 18-0 and in the last game of Saturday, Sua Raiders edged Diphofu 8-7.