University of Belize Black Jaguars – ATLIB 2025 National Softball Champions
by William Ysaguirre (freelance writer)
ESPERANZA VILLAGE, Cayo District, Sat. Mar. 1, 2025
The University of Belize (UB) Black Jaguars won the Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize (ATLIB) national softball championship tournament hosted by the Sacred Heart Junior College at the Joan Garbutt Stadium in Esperanza Village, Cayo, on Saturday, March 1.
Independence Junior College Predators – ATLIB 2025 National Softball Sub-Champions
In Game 1, Eliel Solares led the Independence Junior College (IJC) Predators to a 15-5 win by Mercy Rule in the 3rd inning over the Corozal Junior College (CJC) Falcons, striking out 3 batters and walking 2. The IJC diamond made only 3 errors, forcing the Falcons to leave 3 runners on base, and only Yahir Patt scored 2 runs, while Jadiel Briceño, Calles and Alessandra Canul each scored once. Aryn Ramsey and Tayshaun Cardinez led IJC’s attack, each hitting a home run as each also scored 3 runs. Channon Bailey and Darrion Peters crossed the plate twice, while Solares, Shantay Garbutt, Emiliana Aguilar, Jada Parham and Allan Jones each scored a run for the winners.
San Pedro Junior College Marlins – 3rd Place in ATLIB 2025 National Softball Tournament
In Game 2, the UB Jaguars reeled in the San Pedro Junior College (SPJC) Marlins, 5-2, led by pitcher Carlos Beardall striking out 8 batters. The Marlins collected 3 hits off Beardall, who walked 6 batters; but the UB diamond made only 3 errors, forcing the Marlins to leave 6 runners on base. Only Julio Bardalez and Beandre Witty made it to home plate.
The Jaguars collected 5 hits off Bardalez, who struck out 3 batters, walking none. The Jaguars left 2 runners on base, but the Marlins’ diamond made 6 errors, allowing Richards, Beardall, Griffith, Morgan and Mairena to each score a run.
Carlos Beardall (UB pitcher) – MVP
The Central regional champions, SPJC Marlins won Game 3, the consolation match for 3rd place, 7-6, over the Northern regional champions, the CJC Falcons, led by pitcher Julio Bardalez, who struck out 4 batters and walked 2. The Falcons collected 8 hits off Bardalez’s pitching and left 5 runners on base; but the Marlins made 8 errors, allowing Angelynn Chan to cross the plate twice, while Yahir Patt, Margarita Sima, Jarel Hernandez and Aidan Calles each scored a run.
The Marlins collected 8 hits off Aidan Calles’ pitching; he also struck out one batter and walked 3. The CJC diamond made 3 errors, and the Marlins left 3 runners on base; but Brandon Brown, Mark Cal, Minelli Torres, Bardalez and Beandre Witty each scored a run, while Dianir Lopez crossed the plate twice, including the 7th winning run in the bottom of the 5th inning for the Marlins.
In Game 4, the championship final, the UB Black Jaguars dominated the defending champions, the IJC Predators, 20-9, to win by Mercy Rule in the 4th inning. The Predators collected 9 hits off UB pitcher Carlos Beardall, who struck out 4 batters but walked 2. The UB diamond made only one error, forcing IJC to leave a runner on base; but Eliel Solares and Tayshaun Cardinez each scored twice, while Arny Ramsey, Emiliana Aguilar, Jada Parham, Allan Jones and Lashae Garbutt each scored once.
The Jaguars collected 9 hits off IJC pitcher Eliel Solares, who struck out 6 batters but walked 10. The IJC diamond made 9 errors and forced UB to leave 7 runners on base; but Queen of the Bay Kendall Morgan led the UB attack, scoring 4 runs; Beardall and Kyra Gillett each crossed the plate thrice; and Zane Griffith, Danisha Richards, Tyrell Brooks, Jeremy Andrews and Dennisa Mairena each scored twice for the champions.
ATLIB sports director Faustino Yaxcal presented team trophies and individual medals to the champions, the sub-champions and the 3rd place winners in the awards ceremony after the finals.