Pembroke Hall claim crown

Carl Spence, Gleaner Writer

PEMBROKE HALL High made it two championships from two league appearances when they defeated Meadowbrook High 21-11 in the final of the Jamaica Amateur Softball Junior Schoolgirls' League at Up Park Camp on Thursday.

The community-based school, which also won the title in 2003, was again crowned champions on the 10-run rule after Meadowbrook failed to score three or more runs in their fifth inning.

Trailing 21-9 at the end of the fourth inning, Meadowbrook were asked to score three runs in order to force the game into a sixth inning but were bundled out for a mere two more runs through some fine fielding from Pembroke Hall.

The game was, however, no joyride for the champions as Meadowbrook showed their intentions by restricting the first innings to a three-run tie.

An outstanding fielding performance by Pembroke Hall in the second and third innings prevented Meadowbrook from improving their score while Pembroke Hall scored seven runs to lead 10-3 at the end of the third inning.

The writing was on the wall by the end of the fourth inning as Meadowbrook's comeback hopes were thwarted by Pembroke Hall's 11 runs in that inning while they added only six.

Coach unhappy

"We allowed the game to get away from us in the third and fifth innings," were the words of dissatisfied Meadowbrook coach Clyde Shaw.

Maurice Stanley, coach of Pembroke Hall, felt his side did not play to its full potential early in the game.

"We made the game harder than it should have been in the early stages. With the players I have at Pembroke Hall, I think we should have played harder and better to try to finish the game earlier," Stanley said.

"But I give credit to Meadowbrook. They came out and played their role and it seemed at one point they wanted the game more than us," he said.