The Tropical/Crowley Shipping Shipwreckers battled their way back from behind the Senate Sluggers to earn a berth in the Government and Industrial Coed Slowpitch Softball League "best of the rest" series championship. They will face the winner of the game between Postal and Apex.
The Shipwreckers rallied to beat the Senate Sluggers, 9-8, in the single-elimination tournament play Friday night..
The Sluggers scored three quick runs as cleanup hitter Greg Smith hit a base-clearing triple in the first inning. However, the Sluggers left the bases loaded in the inning. The Shipwreckers answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning to keep the game close.
The Sluggers maintained a three-run lead, 8-5, going into the bottom of the seventh inning. The Shipwreckers' Corlette Morris struck out, then Annette Turnbull reached on an error by Slugger first basewoman Nicole Rhymer. This opened up the floodgates. The Shipwreckers tied the score as Sandito Brito walked and Fernando Leger and Mario De La Cruz followed with back-to-back singles. The Shipwreckers loaded the bases and Sluggers pitcher Mercedez LaTiff walked in the winning game-ending run.
The Sluggers' first four batters accounted for all of their hits. Maurice Foy had three, Kacy Hendricks had two, and Smith was perfect at the plate in two appearances.
For the Shipwreckers, Leger had three hits in four at bats. De La Cruz and Rodney Evans each added two for four performances.
