THE New Providence Softball Association’s defending women’s champions Proper Care Lady Sharks and pennant winning Bommer G Operators will both be out to avoid falling in a serious hole in their respective best-of-five first round playoffs series when they resume play on Tuesday night.

The first year Lady Hitmen proved that they are for real as they devoured the Lady Sharks in an impressive 14-7 victory to take the opener on Saturday night. After a lengthy debate over who should and who should not be allowed to officiate the game, the former champions YII Shipping Wildcats clawed their way to a hard fought 12-10 decision over the Operators.

Both series are slated to continue 7pm Tuesday as the men are on a break until the return of the national team from Medellin, Colombia, where they are competing in the qualifier for the 2014 Pan American Championships and the 2013 World Championships.

Lady Hitmen 14,

Lady Sharks 7

Except for one inning, Thela Johnson had her former team-mates trying to digest a steady diet of fast balls as she held Proper Care Pool in check for the majority of the night.

Johnson, who quit the Lady Sharks after helping them to win both the NPSA and Bahamas Softball Federation’s national titles last year, threw a three-hitter with six strike outs to seal the opener for the Lady Hitmen, who erupted for eight hits off Rochelle Cooper. Suffering the loss, Cooper recorded three strike outs. “It was like nothing to pitch against them,” said Johnson after the win. “We’re not together anymore, so if they choose not to be friends, it’s okay. It’s all about coming out here and getting the win. It doesn’t matter whether or not we are still friends. I’ve moved on and now I’m trying to help my new team to win a championship title.”

Johnson, batting third in their line-up, was just as effective at the plate as she went 3-for-3 with a pair of triples and a single. She produced two runs batted in (RBI) and came home four times - the other coming on a walk.

After falling behind in the top of the first inning, Johnson highlighted a three-run bottom of the frame with a run-producing single that plated Sequel Bain. Sheria Woodside, who had walked following Bain’s lead off walk, scored on a stolen base as Johnson got to second on another. Johnson again stole third and came home on an

throwing error.

Holding on a 3-1 lead going into the second, the Lady Hitmen erupted for six more runs on three hits as they marched all nine batters to the plate, sparked by Randell Cooper’s two-run single.

The Lady Hitmen added their 10th run in the fourth on a Cooper RBI double that drove home Johnson, who had a one-out triple.

It wasn’t until the fifth that Proper Care Pool got regained their composure with six more runs on just one hit, a RBI triple from Vonetta Nairn that followed Debbie McClure’s RBI walk, trimming the deficit to 10-7 and avoiding an abbreviated loss.

But it was short lived as Lashon Fowler was hit by a pitch to lead off the fifth for the Lady Hitmen. After Tasha Armbrister singled, Melinda Bastian came through with a RBI ground out to plate Fowler.

Then in the sixth, the Lady Hitmen added three more runs to put the game out of reach. As a matter of fact, after Johnson had a RBI triple to knock in Woodside, Johnson came home on an error and with two-out, pinch hitter Judith Taylor had a bases loaded RBI walk to score Ashanti Darville in what turned out to be the game winning run as Proper

Care was stopped at the end of the sixth inning.

Wildcats 12, Lady Operators 10

Just after regaining the lead, the Bommer G watched helplessly as YII Shipping pulled away for an easy victory.

Down 6-2 going into the firth, the Lady Operators put two more runs on the scoreboard to trim the deficit to 6-4. But the Lady Operators mounted a four-run rally in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead to 10-4. But they forgot to play defense as the Wildcats rallied for a 10-7 margin at the end of the sixth. They added five more in the

seventh to take a 12-10 lead that they never relinquished.

Mary ‘Cruise’ Sweeting held the Operators at bay the rest of the game, finishing with a six-hitter, striking out three for the win.

Desiree Coakley worked the first six innings, giving up 13 hits with four strike outs for the loss. Sharnell Symonette came in relief in the seventh to get the final two outs.

Anthony Bullard, who heads YII Shipping’s coaching staff, said he expected the type of performance from his Wildcats. “I just need to keep the girls focused,” Bullard said. “Once they do that, they will be all right.”

Bullard wasn’t concerned after his Wildcats fell behind. “All we told the ladies was we’re right in the bottom, just settle down and let’s play ball,” he said. “Just settle down and play ball. That is how we got back in the game to win it.”

Edgecombe helped her own cause with a single and run scored, Candice Smith had two hits with a RBI, scoring once, while Vernie Curry, Wandalee Burrows and Vernita Evans all had a pair of hits with one run on their ledger to lead YII Shipping. Terrah Albury added a hit, scoring twice.

For the Lady Operators, Tyrice Curry went 1-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Sharnell Symonette was 1-for-4 with a RBI and two runs scored, Christine Edmonds had a run-producing double, scoring a run, Dorothy Marshall had a two-run single, scoring a run and Lathera Brown scored two times in a losing effort.