BELIZE CITY, Mon. Sept. 2, 2019– Softball fans from across the country turned out in numbers at Rogers Stadium over the weekend, as eight female softball teams, two each from Stann Creek (Independence United and Placencia), Cayo (defending champion Unitedville Rebels United and Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy), Belize Rural (Burrell Boom and Bermudian Landing) and Belize City (Belize Bank Bulldogs and Digi), engaged in a double-elimination National Tournament over three days, beginning on Friday evening and continuing from 9:00 a.m. daily on Saturday and Sunday. And when, after 14 games played, it was over on Sunday night, Belize Bank Bulldogs were crowned 2019 National Female Softball Champions, after winning, 10-3, by the Mercy Rule over Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy, who were thus eliminated with their second loss, while the Bulldogs remained undefeated in the tournament.
A victory by Roaring Creek, who eliminated Team Digi, 8-5, in the semifinal, would have forced another game against the Bulldogs, as that would have only been their first loss in the tournament.
According to Bulldogs head coach, Floyd Flowers, the Bulldogs were national champions in 2014, 2015 and 2016, after which Unitedville Rebels United were back-to-back champions in 2017 and 2018; and now the Bulldogs are back as champions in 2019.
Individual awards issued after the championship game included: Best Batting Average ().714) – Joline Davis (Bulldogs); Most RBIs (6 each) – Kelsey Robinson (Bulldogs) & Darla Guerra (Digi); Most Strikeouts (11) – Maya Fukada (Bulldogs); Most Stolen Bases (3) – Karisha Coe (Independence United); Most Wins (2 wins each) – Mayu Fukada & Renisha Richards (Bulldogs); Most Valuable Player – Mayu Fukada (Bulldogs; she also had the 2nd best batting average.)
