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Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesAPEX SURVIVES POSTAL'S ATTACK

APEX SURVIVES POSTAL'S ATTACK

The "best of the rest" single elimination tournament of the Government and Industrial Coed Slowpitch Softball League championship is set. It will be Apex going up against Tropical/Crowley Shipping Shipwreckers. The date of the game is yet to be determined, but the teams are set. On Tuesday Apex edged Postal, 17-16, in a nine-inning marathon game.
Apex stared the game with five runs in the first inning. Luis Mejias led the game off with a single. After the next batter flied out to the right fielder, Anthon Cannonier tripled to drive Mejias home. Apex pitcher, Bryon Evans then doubled Cannonier home. Jeffrey Hodge reached on an error. Ronnie Hodge followed with a triple that brought Evans and Jeffrey Hodge home. Peterson Ambo then singled in Ronnie Hodge for the fifth and final run of the inning.
Postal responded quickly as they, too, scored five runs in their half of the first inning. Ironically, Postal scored their five runs similarly to the way Apex did in the top of the inning. The lead off batter, Adelbert Hendricks hit a double. The next batter got out and Wilburn Hendricks then followed with a single to bring Adelbert Hendricks home. George Lewis tripled to drive home Wilburn Hendricks. Elvin Durant then singled Lewis home. Willington Philpott reached on an error by Apex shortstop, Cannonier that allowed Durant to score. Philpott later scored on a two out single by Postal starting pitcher Liston George for the tying run.
Apex erupted in the second inning. Postal opened up the floodgate with an error to start of the inning. With two runners on, Victor Porter hit a three-run home run over the left field fence. This prompted Postal to make a pitching change, as they removed George and brought in Juan Rivera to pitch.
But Apex bats were not silenced by Rivera.
The first three batters that he faced , Cannonier, Evans and Jeffrey Hodge, doubled and scored. Ronnie Hodge then reached on another error and score when Ambo tripled to center field drive him home. However, Ambo was thrown out at the plate as he tried for an inside-the-park home run.
Postal was now down, 12-5, but failed to score in the bottom of the second inning. However, they returned the favor by retiring Apex in order in the top of the third. Postal chipped away at the lead by scoring two runs in the bottom of the third.
Apex padded their lead with three runs in the top of the fourth as Postal committed two very costly errors. The errors bug then hit Apex as they then committed three errors that allowed Postal to score five runs and get back into the game.
Both teams remained scoreless in the fifth and sixth inning. Postal held Apex scoreless again in the top of the seventh inning. Postal rallied back in the bottom of the inning. Philpott, Jennifer Jeffers and Dean Thompson each singled to lead off the inning. Thompson's single drove home Philpott. Apex failed to turn an inning ending double play and Postal tied the game at 15.
The game when into extra innings. However, neither team mounded any real threat and thus went scoreless in the eight inning.
In the ninth inning Porter singled but was later forced out on third. With two outs, and runners on first and second, Ronnie Hodge singled home Cannonier. A throwing error an the relay from left field allowed Evans to score an insurance run.
In the bottom of the inning, Apex's defense started off poorly as the first two batters, Durant and Philpott reached on errors. Jeffers then tapped the ball back to the pitcher, Evans who threw to third to forced out Durant. Thompson followed with a single to left to drive home Philpott. However, Jeffers was thrown out at third on the play. Evans then intentionally walked opposing pitcher, Rivera to face the next batter Prudencia Freeman. She tapped the ball back to the pitcher who threw her out at first to end the game.

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