Over last weekend, the male and female Softball teams for the Nazarene High school participated in the Regional competition weekend and made a landmark performance. It is important for the school because it is the first time they've won in both the male and the female category.
In the final game, the male team went up against Saint John's College, and managed to defeat them by the mercy rule, which simply means that the officials stopped the match before its end because Nazarene was so far ahead, that they couldn't possibly catch up.
The Nazarene females also defeated Edward P. Yorke by that same mercy rule. Experts in the game attribute the win to the excellent performance of the male and female pitchers, and by a big homerun play by the male team.
7News caught up with both female and male teams, and found a proud principal. Here's what they told us:
Jerome Carr - Pitcher, Nazarene Softball Team
"It was challenging; especially with ACC but when we reached John's, they said that they were going to beat us. We didn't say much; we just show them off on the field."
Daniel Ortiz
"I also understand you are a great pitcher coming from primary school."
Jerome Carr
"Yeah, when I got to high school, all of them teased me saying that I can't strike out any of them. There were mostly big men who were on the teams, so I just showed them what I got."
Bruce Hilton - Catcher, Nazarene Softball Team
"I just tried talk to him so that he didn't get nervous, and called out where I wanted the ball; he put it there. We just worked out, did our best and tried to win."
Jerry Cassasola - Member, Nazarene Softball Team
"You have to pick which ball you will hit over the fence and try to catch it good."
Daniel Ortiz
"How do you gauge what pitches are great and what pitches you should leave to go pass? Many times, coaches will tell you, 'Okay, let's see if the guy will throw you a first strike, then after you try to line up for that hit.'"
Jerry Cassasola
"Well I don't really wait on a strike. I just wait down till the ball comes how I can hit it, and I just manage to knock it."
Ashley Lucas - Pitcher, Nazarene Softball Team
"It wasn't that difficult because I play for the national team, so I'm used to pitching to some of the girls. So it wasn't that difficult. All I did was try strike out the girls so we can go in and make more runs."
Elma Wade - Member, Nazarene Softball Team
"We work out hard to try be the best, and we work out even harder to try represent Belize and to try and be the number 1 team."
Ashley Rudon - Captain, Nazarene Female Team
"With my team, I just build confidence with them, so that we could win the game. No matter if we are down, we can still come up and beat them because we're more experience than any team that was out there, so it wasn't really that hard to win those games."
Samuel Sukhnandan - Principal, Nazarene High School
"It means a lot for the school because this is the first time in the history of the school, that we've ever won a championship in both the male and the female division. I am a proud principal of a co-educational school, so congratulations to the boys and to the girls; job well done."
Adam Gomez - Coach, Nazarene Male Team
"This week is a lot of practice, you know; just a mental game, get all the kids focused for this weekend, both teams, because both teams share the same practice plays like that."
Both teams prepare to participate in the nationals which will be held this weekend. They will represent the Belize district.
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