Softball knockout champs crowned
Cape Town Softball Association closed the curtains on the 2021/22 season with the crowning of the knockout competition winners in games played at Turfhall Sports Complex at the weekend.
Lavender Hill completed their season double, having been crowned league champions a week ago.
Lavender Hill won the league title after beating Falcons 3-2 in last week’s close encounter in the women’s division.
The two rivals again met in the finals of the knockout championships at the weekend with Falcons hoping to avenge their previous week’s defeat.
Lavender Hill proved that their league-clinching win was no fluke as they again got one over Falcons with a 10-1 scoreline.
Lavender Hill head coach, Marlene Peterson, said it was always their goal to finish the season with a double and her players had consistently put in extra effort to achieve that feat.
Lavender Hill’s dominance this season was not surprising as all their players are members of the Western Cape Softball side and have now shifted their attention to the national championships that starts on Tuesday March 29 at Turfhall sports complex.
“It was great, we worked well towards it (season double goal). It feels pretty good since it was just last week when we won the league. We work together well as a team and we were always pushing to win the double this year, having last won the same knockout competition two years ago,” said Peterson.
It’s back to the drawing board for Falcons who came agonisingly close to their own double but the star power of Lavender Hill was too much to handle.
Peterson says with one of the goals achieved this season they are now looking at the possibility of taking their players abroad to gain much-needed international experience.
She says it’s not enough to only be dominant at home but players need to be exposed to different levels of competition.
In the men’s division, Hamilton Green had no problem sweeping past Tantasport 9-3 to clinch the knockout championship.
Hamilton Green made sure not to finish the season empty- handed and brushed aside the disappointment of finishing the league as runner-up, behind Devonshire Rovers.
Greens were clinical on both ends of the diamond, led by Lloyd Stevens doing pitching duties and who, after winning the knockout for his side, went on to pitch for the Bellville Tygers baseball side in their own season-ending match against Athlone A’s.
Hamilton head coach, Nigel Kerchhoff, said he was happy with yet another trophy under their name.
“Winning the KO capped yet another great season for a very talented team but it's just another trophy to add to our collection of league and cup successes over the years as a club.
“Hopefully (Sunday’s) competitive games helped prepare the players participating in the upcoming inter-provincial tournament at Turfhall and that they get selected to represent the club and country at the national level,” said Kerchhoff.
With club duties over, the softball action continues with national championships at Turfhall Sports Complex with the winners crowned on Saturday April 2.
Western Cape will be hoping their star players at club level bring their A game in the national champs with strong competition in the likes of Limpopo and Gauteng.
The women’s side are looking to go all the way to lifting the trophy this time around after losing to Gauteng in the finals a year ago.
