GOZO CUP TOURNAMENT 2014 – A LOOK BACK

The biggest surprise to the organisers was the improvement exhibited by most of the participants. The players had the right attitude and took the competition very seriously.

Half way through the summer, in the middle of a heat wave, beach hopping and swimming certainly dominate the agenda. There are also those who are all excited preparing for the village feast. As a break from the mid-summer boredom, we have put together a review of the wonderful experience that the Gozo Cup Softball Tournament 2014  turned out to be for all those involved.

Traditionally, sports clubs and associations have shied away from organising youth competitions during the summer holidays as more often than not youths tend to lose interest in sporting activity during the summer in favour of idling around, often gravitating towards the nearest beach. For this reason organising a softball tournament in Gozo, right at the start of the summer holidays, was a challenge. Therefore, the fact that 32 youth players along with three coaches accepted the invitation to take part in this tournament is already a success story in itself. The wonderful turnout can be interpreted as an indication of how much interest this relatively new sport is generating among youths.

The biggest surprise to the organisers, however, was the improvement exhibited by most of the participants. The players had the right attitude and took the competition very seriously. With the three teams made up of a mixture of players with varying skill levels as there were those who started playing the sport recently and others who have just graduated from tee-ball, along with the more experienced players, there was always the risk that some of the participants might not take the competition seriously. The exact opposite happened. All the participants were keen to do well and determined to try their best to help their team win. This made  the competition even more exciting. There were several players whose performances are worthy of a mention.

Everyone expected Denise Xuereb, Kurt Fenech, and Brandon Grech to do well for the Leinster Royals, and they did. Denise, playing at 1st base, had 38 put-outs and 2 assists, while committing only 4 errors. She also contributed with 5 RBIs. Kurt had 4 hits and 5 RBIs. Brandon registered 28 assists and 9 put-outs along with 5 hits. The most improved players on the Royals’ team were Ryan Grech (5 hits and 6 runs scored) and Davida Dimech (6 hits and 6 runs scored). They also contributed with the glove. Ryan had 3 put-outs and Davida had 3 put-outs and 4 assists.

For the Connaught Rangers, Rebecca Grech performed extremely well playing pitcher’s position. She registered 28 assists and 9 put-outs, while committing only 6 errors. So did Ian Refalo despite playing at 1st base for the first time. He had 24 put-outs and committed 5 errors. Ian also impressed with his bat scoring 5 runs and notching 7 base hits, one of which was a game-winning walk-off home run. There were good efforts as well from Nadine Grima and Corinne Grima. The most improved on the Connaught Rangers team was Austin Stellini who did very well with 5 hits, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored. The outstanding performer and team leader for the Rangers was Malcolm Refalo. He managed 8 hits, 8 runs scored and 7 RBIs. Malcolm also did very well defensively with 12 put-outs and 2 assists, committing only 3 errors.

The 31st Athletics won the Gozo Cup because several of their players performed much better than expected, especially when it mattered. In the play-off against the Leinster Royals, they held their nerves to win a very tight game 4-0 committing a single error as opposed to 8 errors committed by the Royals. Similarly, in the Cup Final against the Connaught Rangers, they performed better under pressure than their opponents. Their 4 errors as opposed to the 9 committed by the Rangers are a clear indication of this. Very little was expected from the youngest members of the team. Steve Bajada (3 hits), Carlos Camilleri (5 hits) and Neil Said (6 runs scored) performed exceptionally well. Angelo Muscat was always considered as a promising player, but until this tournament he seemed to perform well below his potential. In the six games he played, Angelo made very good contact with the ball and was unfortunate not to do much better than the 6 hits and 4 RBIs, that he registered.

The most improved player on the Athletics team was certainly Corrine Zahra. She registered 6 hits, 4 RBIs and scored 4 runs. In the Cup Final she went 4-for-4 with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored. The leaders of the Athletics teamed up extremely well, with Estelle Scicluna playing at pitcher’s position and Gianella Mallia playing at 1st base. Gianella led the tournament with 46 put-outs and committed only 5 errors. She also had 7 base hits, 3 RBIs and scored 8 runs. Estelle Scicluna, who was selected Tournament MVP, had 48 assists and 6 put-outs, committing only 5 errors. Estelle also led with 10 base hits including a home run, 8 RBIs, and 7 runs scored.

Such outstanding performances, and the entertainment that this Gozo Cup Softball Tournament 2014 provided for all the participants, made it one to remember. More such competitions are planned for the future.

During this lull in activity, the Ghajnsielem Redcoats are working hard making the necessary preparations for the upcoming season. The objective will be to promote the game in Gozo while enhancing the experience for everyone involved. It is looking like it will be a busy one as the Redcoats seek new challenges. Given the track record over the previous two season, the Ghajnsielem Redcoats should be able to meet these new challenges with flying colours and continue to make history.