The Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation played the first round of interisland games in its territorial RBI League.
Reviving Baseball in Inner City is an outreach program created by Major League Baseball, sponsored in the territory by the Department of Sports, Parks and Recreation. It is designed to create a love for the game of baseball and using that to foster the value of teamwork, working hard to achieve their goals, academic excellence and community service.
The softball games were played on St. Thomas, while St. Croix hosted the baseball contests.
SOFTBALL
Going Places 5, Aint No Vibes 3: Friday at St. Thomas’ Joseph Aubain Ballpark, game one of the girls’ softball matchups started off as a pitcher’s duel. Aleah Mann of St Croix’s Going Places recorded five strikeouts while her counterpart, Shaquilla Lewis of St Thomas’ Aint No Vibes, sat down seven batters via strikeout. Despite recording more strikeouts in the contest, Aint No Vibes allowed six walks that aided in its demise. Going into the final inning, the game was tied, two all. Rashani Sackey of Going Places was awarded first base via a walk. Elisha Ramirez followed with a shot to right field resulting in her standing on third base with a triple. She later scored on a ground ball to the shortstop. In the bottom of the frame, Aint No Vibes could only produce one run, leaving the final score, 5–3.
Hits were at a premium in this contest as Elisha Ramirez and Aleah Mann both recorded one hit each for Going Places. Aint No Vibes had five players with a hit, Alahya Jackson, Yemeli Rodrguez, Leah George, Kimois Turnbull and Shaquilla Lewis.
Aint No Vibes 13, Good Vibes 1: Saturday at the Emile Griffith Park on St Thomas, St Thomas’ Aint No Vibes starting pitcher Jamia Cochrane was on her game in the circle as she struck out four and only allowed one hit against St Croix’s Good Vibes. Aint No Vibes put the game away with an eight run second inning. The inning was riddled with errors and walks that allowed Aint No Vibes to manufacture eight runs on just one hit. Good Vibes starter Nyajah Allahar pitched two innings allowing two hits but six base on balls. Allysa Brady recorded the only hit for Good Vibes. Jamia Cochrane, Yemeli Rodriguez, Leah George and Shaquilla Lewis all had one hit for Aint No Vibes.
Going Places 13, All The Way 9: It was a rough first inning for both teams as their pitchers combined to allow nine runs, six walks and hit three batters in the opening frame at Joseph Aubain Ball Park on Saturday. St Croix’s Going Places clean-up batter, Aleah Mann, took advantage of the opportunity by collecting the first of her game-high four RBIs on a double to left-center field. Going Places scored four runs in the first inning. St Thomas’ All The Way responded with five runs in the bottom of the frame by a series of miscues by the other team.
All The Way held a 9–6 lead going into the final inning. Once again Mann found herself at the plate with her teammates on the base pads. This time all the bases were momentarily occupied as Mann stroked a bases-clearing triple to left field, tying the score at nine. Going Places added four more runs in that inning. Going Places quieted Aint No Vibes in the bottom of the frame, making the final score 13–9.
Aleah Mann recorded three big hits, two doubles and a triple for Going Places. Rashell Machuca and Joemyra Clendinen got one hit each for All The Way.
All The Way 11, Good Vibes 2: St Thomas’ All The Way’s Mekaela Richardson delivered a strong outing in the circle as she pitched a complete-game one-hitter against St Croix’s Good Vibes at Joseph Aubain Ball Park on Saturday. Richardson got off to a rocky start as Good Vibes leadoff batter, Allysa Brady, got a single to open the game. The next batter, Jahnya Allahar, was hit by a pitch putting runners on first and second with no one out in the inner. Good Vibes buckled down and got out of the inning without conceding a run. Gabriela Robinson of All The Way came up with a big hit, driving in two runs in the bottom of the first. All The Way put the game away with an eight-run third inning.
Brady recorded the only hit for Good Vibes. Sapphire Cruz and Robinson had two hits each for All The Way.
BASEBALL
Saints Two 5, Truce 3: The bats for both teams were quiet as St Croix’s Saints Two and St Thomas’ Truce could muster only one hit each in the five-inning contest Friday at the D.C. Canegata Ballpark on St Croix. Saints The pitching duo of Jelani Coggins and Derek Morales struck out four batters each on their way to a 5–3 victory over Truce. Leadoff hitter, Jordan Fleming of Truce drew a walk and later came around to score the game’s first run. The Saints took advantage of three walks and two players hit by pitches to generate three first-inning runs. The Saints pitching staff silenced the bats of Truce for the remainder of the game. Truce’s Moise Rogers had the only hit of the contest.
Respect Two 9, Integrity 8: It was the best of times and the worst of times for St Thomas’ Integrity pitcher Sekai Pinney in the loss to St Croix’s Respect Two 9-8 Friday at Canegata Ballpark. Pinney recorded 10 strikeouts but allowed seven hits. In the top of the first inning, Respect’s Klenyel Titus, Jahdiel Bermudez and Januelle Morales all got on base and scored before Pinney struck out the side. Respect added two more runs in the second inning, taking a commanding 5-0 lead. However, in the bottom of the third Integrity came storming back scoring six runs to go ahead by one point. Respect took back the lead in the fifth inning as Morales and Jahi Garcia had hits in that frame. Thomas Corcino of Respect came in and closed the game for the St Croix team. Morales went 3-of-4 at the plate in the win.
Dream Chasers 18, Respect Two 7: The bats were alive and well for St Thomas’ Dream Chasers as they pounded out 10 hits in their 18-7 win over St Croix’s Respect Two, Saturday at Canegata. Respect got on the board first fueled by Na-Jail Hospedales’ two-run double. The St Croix team score five runs in the inning. Dream Chasers started their half of the first chasing pitches with extreme success as K’Mani Thomas and Glen Maduro III each hit doubles. Yullian Solano and Terrance Livisay Jr. also added singles in the first. The score was knotted at five going into the second inning. The third inning Maduro connected with a ball deep to left field and circled all the bases with an inside-the-park three-run home run. The Dream Chasers touched home plate a total of seven times in that inning, putting the game out of reach.
Top hitters for Dream Chasers were Maduro and Solano 2-of-2; Thomas and Livisay 1-of-1; Nykori Lewis, Jayden Lawrence, Selden Samuel Jr and Ly’Dale Brathwaite all went 1-of-2. Top batters for Respect were Januelle Morales, Jahi Garcia and Luis Sotomayor 1-of-1; Thomas Corcino and Hospedales 1-of-2.
Saints Two 18, Integrity 5: St Thomas’ Integrity started the game strong but St Croix’s Saints Two finished the game stronger, marching all over Integrity by an 18-5 score Saturday at Canegata. Integrity held the Saints scoreless in the top of the first inning and scored all their runs in the bottom of the frame. However, the momentum quickly changed in the second as the Saints scored six runs and never looked back. The hit parade truly got started in the fourth as Glovani Ramirez and Jacob Turnbull opened the frame with doubles. Later in the inning, Jelani Coggins and Tryone Lake each hit singles. The highlight of the inning was D’Lani Charles inside the park home run to center field.
Top hitters for the Saints Two were Turnbull, who went 4-of-4; Lake 4-of-5; Raynaldo Corcino 2-of-3; Ramirez and Charles 2-of-4; David Allahar III 1-of-1; and Coggins 1-of-2. Top batters for Integrity were Sekai Pinney, C’Jia Callwood and Macim McMahon 1-of-1; and Jaden Sibilly 1-of-2.
Truce 13, Respect Two 5: St Croix’s Respect Two sent nine batters to the plate in their five-run first but lost to St Thomas’ Truce 13-5, Saturday at Canegata. In that inning, Jequan Weste, Jahl Garcia, Na-Jail Hospedales and Klenyei Titus all recorded hits, highlighted by Garcia’s triple. Truce fought back as they scored four runs in the first and three in each of the final three innings. Truce K’Nard Callendar came in the game in relief in the first and didn’t surrender a hit in over three-plus innings pitched.
Top hitters for the game were Nehkai Nibbs 3-of-3; Dahlani Simon and Vern Frett 2-of-3; Devonte Freeman 1-of-1; Callendar 1-of-2.
Dream Chasers 10, Saints Two 5: Big right-hander Glen Maduro III took the mound for St Thomas’ Dream Chasers against St Croix’s Saints Two, Saturday at Canegata. Maduro allowed three earned runs, struck out five but walked six Saints in the complete game 10-5 victory. Maduro held the Saints scoreless in the first two innings. The Dream Chasers’ Yullian Solano registered two RBIs in the first two frames as the St Thomas team jumped out to a 7-0 lead. In the third, the Saints literally came marching in as Maduro walked five batters. The Saints closed the gap to two points but the Dream Chasers plated three runs in their half of the inning.
Tyrone Lake, D’Lani Charles and Jacob Turnbull all had hits for the Saints. Yullian Solano recorded two hits for Dream Chasers.
