ST. JOHN — For three innings, thoughts of an upset win — and a trip to El Salvador — ran through the heads of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ women’s national softball team.
Two swings of a bat ended the USVI National Team’s hopes, as Curaçao pulled out a 3-2 victory in Sunday’s championship game of the Eastern Caribbean Amateur Softball Confederation’s Women’s Fast-Pitch Championships.
The U.S. Virgin Islands finished the six-team tournament at the National Park Ball Field in Cruz Bay with a 5-2 record — their only losses coming against Curaçao, 56th in the World Baseball-Softball Council’s latest rankings.
In Sunday’s bronze-medal game, Aruba scored in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat the British Virgin Islands 9-8.
Curaçao’s championship in the ECASC Women’s Fast-Pitch Championship automatically qualifies them for the upcoming Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, scheduled for June 23-July 8 in San Salvador, El Salvador.
More on this weekend’s tournament games:
Sunday’s Games
Curaçao 3, U.S. Virgin Islands 2: Curaçao connected on back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to overcome an early deficit and beat the USVI in the championship game.
The U.S. Virgin Islands had taken a 2-0 lead on a two-run single by Kiara Richards in the top of the first inning, but Curaçao ended the shutout on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fourth.
Then, in the bottom of the fifth, Curaçao connected for the home runs — solo shots by Jandely Ricardo and Julisa Koffy — to nearly the same spot in left-center field and a 3-2 lead.
That, and a strong performance by starting pitcher J’dah Girigorie, allowed Curaçao to hold on for the win.
Girigorie got the win, holding the USVI to three hits over seven innings, with a tournament-best 16 strikeouts.
Kenya Pereira took the loss for the U.S. Virgin Islands, allowing seven hits and four walks while striking out five.
Suheidy Faneyt went 2 for 2 for Curaçao, with Thaima Maxililiana getting an RBI on the bases-loaded walk, scoring pinch-runner Shurvienska Wawoe.
Najah Gerrald and Roneice Pharoah both had a hit and scored a run for the USVI.
Aruba 9, British Virgin Islands 8: Jennysela Tromp’s bases-loaded single drove home the winning run as Aruba took the bronze medal over the BVI.
Down 8-5 entering the top of the seventh inning, the British Virgin Islands scored three times to tie the game. But Aruba loads the bases in the bottom of the seventh on a hit by pitch and a pair of singles. One out later, Tromp singled down the third-base line to score Rudlyn Ras.
Ras got the win in relief for Aruba, allowing five runs off 10 hits over three innings, with three strikeouts.
Yee Mei Cheong started for Aruba, giving up one run off one hit — a leadoff home run to Darier Malone in the top pf the fourth — and four walks, with three strikeouts. She was relieved by Shatienne Kock, who allowed two runs off a walk in one inning.
Thea Cooke took the loss for the BVI, coming on for starter Jelisa Potter in the bottom of the seventh. Potter lasted six innings, giving up 10 hits and five walks, with five strikeouts.
Tromp finished with three hits, five RBIs and two runs scored for Aruba. Sayanna Geerman also had three hits and scored twice, Zulaima Croes had two hits and four RBIs, and Milvienne Henriquez and Sharleynis Sparen both had two hits and scored a run.
Kaynesha Stoutt had two hits and two RBIs for the British Virgin Islands. Malone also had two hits, scored twice and drove in a run; and Bria Smith and Claury Scatliffe each had two hits, scored a run and drove in a run.
Saturday’s Games
Curaçao 12, British Virgin Islands 0 (4 innings): Curaçao’s Richelle Van Gennip threw the second no-hitter the day and the third of the tournament in shutting out the BVI in the rule-shortened game.
Van Gennip nearly had a perfect game, allowing a walk to Akira Phillip. She also had eight strikeouts.
Meanwhile, Curaçao’s offense backed up Van Gennip, scoring all of their runs in the first two innings — seven in the bottom of the first, and five more in the bottom of the second.
Kennisha Powell took the loss for the BVI, giving up seven runs off four hits and a walk in 2/3 innings, with one strikeout. She was relived by Jelisa Potter, who gave up five runs off five hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings.
Michenou Marselia had two hits, five RBIs and two runs scored for Curaçao, with Julise Koffy adding two hits and two runs scored, and Jandely Ricardo getting a hit and driving in two runs.
Curaçao 15, St. Maarten 1 (5 innings): Curaçao continued its undefeated run through the tournament by routing St. Maarten in a rule-shortened game.
Curaçao starter Suheidy Faneyt held St. Maarten to three hits over five innings, while Curaçao’s batters connected for 12 hits — six of those for extra bases. That allowed Curaçao to score seven runs in the top of the first and fifth innings, and a solo run in the top of the third.
Jandely Ricardo had three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored for Curaçao. Joanni Benita had two hits — a triple and home run — with three RBIs and three runs scored, and Deidra Da Costa had two hits with a run scored and one RBI.
St. Maarten’s lone run came on Fabiana Beauperthuy’s RBI single in the bottom of the first, scoring Tamika Lambert.
U.S. Virgin Islands 15, Jamaica 1 (4 innings): The USVI took advantage of Jamaica’s struggling pitching staff to take a rule-shortened victory.
The USVI managed just six hits, but was aided by 12 walks from two different Jamaica pitchers, as well as a pair of errors and five wild pitches.
Ty’elle Jeppensen got the win for the USVI, allowing three runs off one hit and seven walks, with seven strikeouts.
Anita Waite took the loss for Jamaica, with nine runs off five hits and seven walks in 1 1/3 innings. Cachetne Barrett closed out, giving up six runs off one hit and five walks in 1 2/3 innings, with one strikeout.
Roneice Pharoah had a hit and four RBIs for the USVI, with Najah Gerrald getting a hit, three RBIs and two runs scored, and Ne’Kayla Hazel one hit, two RBIs and three runs scored.
Aruba 10, Jamaica 0 (4 innings): Aruba’s Zulaima Croes had the second no-hitter of the tournament in shutting out Jamaica in the rule-shortened game.
Crowe only allowed one runner on base (off a walk) and struck out one in getting the win.
Nickeisha Robinson took the loss for Jamaica, allowing eight runs off three hits and four walks in one inning. Anita Waite came on, and gave up two runs off two hits and two walks over two innings, with four strikeouts.
Nikkaela Jacobs belted a grand-slam home run in the bottom of the first for Aruba. Croes and Yee Mei Cheong each had one hit, one RBI and one run scored.