BELIZE CITY, Thurs. May 12, 2016–The National Primary Schools Softball Championship 2016 took place on Friday, May 6, in Belize City at the Marion Jones Sports Complex. Six female teams and six male teams, champions of the six districts of the country, participated in the tournament.  Participating teams were:

       FEMALE – Independence Primary (Stann Creek); Crooked Tree Gov’t (Belize); Caledonia RC (Corozal); St. Francis Xavier RC (Cayo); Carmelita Gov’t (Orange Walk); and Aguacate RC (Toledo).

       MALE – Silk Grass Methodist (Stann Creek); St. Luke Methodist (Belize); Xaibe RC (Corozal); Camalote St. Jude RC (Cayo); Carmelita Gov’t (Orange Walk); and San Vicente RC (Toledo).

       After each team had played 2 first round games, the top 4 teams in each category moved on to the semifinals. In the female category, Aguacate RC edged Independence Primary, 6-5; and Crooked Tree Gov’t clipped St. Francis Xavier RC, 3-1. For the males, Carmelita Gov’t won, 12-9, over Camalote St. Jude RC; and Xaibe RC shut out St. Luke Methodist, 4-0.

       In the consolation matches for third place, Independence Primary girls crushed St. Francis Xavier, 9-1; while Camalote St. Jude RC boys won, 9-7, over St. Luke Methodist.

       The female championship game saw Crooked Tree Gov’t School defeating Aguacate RC School, 7-3, with Ashanti Gillett the winning pitcher; while in the male championship match, it was Xaibe RC School taking the 11-4 victory over Carmelita Gov’t School, behind winning pitcher Loronzo Nas.

       Female MVP of the tournament was Laisha Jones of Crooked Tree Gov’t School (Belize); and the Male MVP was Loronzo Nas of Xaibe RC School (Corozal).

    (Information courtesy Ms. Barbara Cadle, Bze Dist. Sports Coordinator, Nat’l Sports Council)