By Janet Chia
(original submission to ntuc usports and voxsports)
Into its fourth edition, the annual
Softball Mania jointly organised by NTUC Usports and Singapore
Recreational Club, was held over two weekends at the Padang. The
grand finals held on 30th June between Hawks and Avengers resulted in
Hawks lifting the cup. The plate and bowl title was lifted by LZB and
HLJS respectively.
The slow pitch mixed event has
succeeded in encouraging mass participation that incorporates
different levels of softball players, ranging from recreational
players to fast pitch players. The prohibition of bunting and
stealing of base had also made the game safer for all.
Even with these rules in place, the
competitiveness of the game is not compromised as each inning is
limited to a maximum of 7 runs, and a maximum of 7 innings or 60
minutes game duration whichever is earlier, giving everyone an equal
chance to play.
The grand finals playoff between strong
contenders Hawks and Avengers saw Hawks leading throughout the game
with a strong display of skills and techniques. The first inning saw
Avengers' #19 hitting a strong bat which subsequently turned to
Hawks' advantage as it gave them the opportunity to out an Avengers'
member at the third base.
Eventhough the Avengers were lagging
behind in points, however, they displayed exemplary sportsmanship and
put up stellar attempts to catch up. With strong pitches by Avengers'
#9, Hawks' #8 batter was forced out of game. In the next inning,
Avengers managed to hit two spectacular, consecutive home runs by #23
and #16.
The exciting grand finals ended with
5-15 to Hawks, while the 3rd and 4th placing
playoff between Nexus and Headhunters ended with 13-10 to Nexus.
Another highlight of the day is the
plate title's finals playoff between LZB and UNO.
LZB, whose acronym stands for ‘Lao
Zhar Bor’, meaning 'old ladies' in the Hokkien dialect is a team
comprising mainly of ex-fast pitch players, had proved their
unwavered strength against UNO. At one point, LZB was down by 7
points to UNO with the score standing at 0-7. However, the amazing
comeback by LZB saw them winning the game with a score of 10-7.
Though there were some controversial
calls by umpires in some of the games, sportsmanship were aptly
displayed in respecting the umpires’ decisions. The event ended in
good spirits with all teams cheering for each other.
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| Jubilated LZB after clinching plate title |
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| UNO member contesting umpire's call |
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| Bat perfect by Avengers member |
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