Minutes after coach Mario Ford told the head umpire that Saturday night's game between his squad, the Sigma Brackettes, and the Proper Care Pool Lady Sharks would be played under protest, third baseman Shevette Taylor caught a hard-hit line drive shot that ended the game.

Clearing the bases and batting in the only two runs scored by the Sharks was Marissa Burrows. Her standing double put the Sharks in a perfect position to go up a few more runs before closing the inning. But when a pinch runner came in for Burrows and then switched back out to allow Shonte Cargill to take the base, Ford stormed out of their dugout in protest. According to Ford, an illegal switch was made. The outburst resulted in a 10-minute delay, as officials and scorers tried to clarify the matter. When the umpire called out "play ball", Tenika Munroe stepped to the plate and was ready for action.

Facing a 1-3 count, Munroe slammed the ball towards Taylor who stretched out her hand and caught the ball before it went foul, ending the game 3-2. The Brackettes are up 3-1 in the best of seven series for the New Providence Softball Association's (NPSA) title. Game five will be played Tuesday at the Banker's Field located in the Balliou Hills Sporting Complex.

Ford said: "The protest no longer stands because we won. In my explanation to the umpire and the other officials, I was telling them that it was an illegal move. There is no way a pinch runner can come into a game for someone, then seconds later [be] substituted out by another player on that same play. We just want them to be fair and follow the rules.

"I wasn't scared, them scoring those two runs. The game is based on runs, hits and errors. I know that my team would have been able to hold them. We still had an inning to go, us batting at the bottom. So I was confident. Come Tuesday, you will see us celebrating. The team is on a high and we are ready to play them, take what is rightfully ours and that is a championship title."

Scoring the two runs for the Sharks were Shanae Bethel and Daria Cambridge. The Brackettes had shutout the Sharks until that point. As a team, they scored all of their runs in the first inning, falling short and leaving runners on bases in the other innings.

The winning pitcher in the game was Ernestine Butler and Alex Gabriel was tagged with the loss.

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