The Bahamas baseball team finally got their first win of the Caribbean Little League Championships on Wednesday with a victory over St. Maarten, 11-7. Paul Smith pitched a full game and recorded eight strikeouts in the contest. The Bahamas closes out its participation in the tournament with a 1-3 record, well short of pre-tournament expectations.
A winless St. Maarten struggled from the start of the game, with irratic pitching and multiple passed balls that resulted in extra bases and scores for the Bahamas. Despite producing seven hits for the game to the Bahamas' four, St. Maarten couldn't overcome their mistakes.
The Bahamas consistently capitalized on St. Maarten miscues, going on a 7-0 romp in the first inning alone. T'Trae Sweeting, Stefan Nemhart, Geren Albury, and D'Juan Seymour crossed the plate in the first inning for the Bahamas, before St. Maarten changed their pitcher.
Leslie Darville, Paul Smith, and Ashton Allen would all follow up with scores for the Bahamas before the first inning came to a close.
However, St. Maarten clawed back in the second by beating sluggish throws to first base, and producing several hard hits that were mishandled by the Bahamas. St. Maarten managed three runs in the second inning to make the score 7-3.
D'Juan Seymour lined a St. Maarten pitch to the back fence in center field for a double in the bottom of the second inning for the Bahamas, followed by a rocket to center field by Leslie Darville that scored D'Juan Seymour and Stefan Nemhart. The Bahamas would score twice more to make the score 11-3 at the end of the second inning.
Several walks by Smith and several well-placed hits by St. Maarten loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning. St. Maarten would cut the Bahamas lead to 11-4 after Smith walked a batter with the bases loaded.
With the bases still loaded and one out, Matthew Constantakis caught a short pop up for the second out of the inning. On the very next play, Constantakis fielded a hard line drive that he tossed to Alex Martinborough at first base to get the Bahamas out of the inning.
Continuing the hitting slump from the very first game, the Bahamas couldn't manage any offense in a fifth inning highlighted only by T'Trae Sweeting's single to left field.
St. Maarten began a last gasp effort in the top of the sixth inning by scoring three more runs in the top of the sixth inning to make the score 11-7. But that is all they could muster as Smith closed out the game with a strikeout.
The Bahamas finishes the Caribbean Little League Tournament in Baja Vega, Puerto Rico, with a record of 1 win, 3 losses.
For scores and updates on the tournament from the official Little League site, click here.
Photos from Bahamas versus St. Maarten:
Alex Martinborough at bat for the Bahamas
The Bahamas scores again versus St Maarten
Bahamas base runners get the jump on the pitch
Alexander Euteneuer warms up between innings
Alex Martinborough and Matthew Constantakis toss the ball around
A sucessful St. Maarten bunt down third base line
A Bahamas base runner versus St. Maarten on Wednesday
Matthew Constantakis flips the ball to first base
From the Bahamas versus St Maarten on Wednesday
Paul Smith winds up to throw a pitch against St Maarten
St Maarten at the plate
The Bahamas versus St Maarten on Wednesday in the Caribbean Little League Championships
Hurler Paul Smith closes out the game for the Bahamas versus St Maarten
