Everyone knows about Kacey’s exploits in the youth leagues, this season she also managed to excel in the Women’s Softball Championship Series being one of the best hitters in that competition, but to play in the National Softball League, dominated by the best baseball players in Malta, and perform as well as she did was a sight to behold.
The Redcoats senior team came into this doubleheader having lost the previous three games against the red hot Mellieha Softball. For the two games in Marsa against the Mustangs, the Redcoats were missing their ever present slugger, Steven Galea, the versatile Bryan Attard, as well short stop Shaun Chircop.
To fill in for the missing starters, the Redcoats had to call up youths’ captain, Kacey Grima, who was asked to play at second base, a position she had never played in her short career. Emmanuel Borg played in left field, whereas Michelle Grima played in right field. Joseph Scicluna played at third while Charlie Attard slotted himself at short stop. Mark Buttigieg was back for the Redcoats and played at centre left field.
Very little was expected from the Redcoats given the missing key players and given that they were playing against the Mustangs team that has been playing baseball as a unit for several years. However, a solid all round performance, especially from the ‘substitutes’ helped the Redcoats build an 8-3 lead in the first game which they just managed to hang on to. The final score was 8-7.
Key performers were without a shadow of a doubt Kacey Grima and Emmanuel Borg. Everyone knows about Kacey’s exploits in the youth leagues, this season she also managed to excel in the Women’s Softball Championship Series being one of the best hitters in that competition, but to play in the National Softball League, dominated by the best baseball players in Malta, and perform as well as she did was a sight to behold. Kacey went 3-for-4 with two RBI making also several key defensive plays.
Emmanuel Borg also had a fantastic game. He contributed with his bat also going 2-for-3 with 2 RBI and contributed with his glove as well covering left field like a seasoned veteran.
In the second game the quality of the players on the Mustangs team was translated into superiority on the field. They took a 0-3 lead in the first inning and never looked in danger of giving up that advantage. It was 3-10 at the end. A split of the doubleheader was fair at the end. The Redcoats’ excellent performance in the first game earned them a well deserved victory in Marsa against one of the better teams in Malta.
The focus of the Ghajnsielem Redcoats will now revert back to the youths as the two teams of the club participating in the Baseball Major league as well as the two teams that will be competing in the Baseball Minor League will be in action in the coming weekends respectively.
