Swindon Softball players enjoyed early season success this weekend as the Panthers won the Goram Cup at Bristol Firstball.
The Panthers, the parent club of Swindon Softball League sides Jaguars and Las Panteras, featured an all-Swindon lineup in an impressive display of offensive and defensive softball throughout the day.
“This was a fantastic team achievement”, said Panthers captain Dave Jones, “especially from our newer players who improved through the day. It all amounted to great batting and fielding in both the semi final and final when it mattered most”.
The Panthers came back from a 13 run deficit in the first inning of their first game of the day to beat Bristol BAM to get their tournament off to a positive start.
This success carried over to the second game of the day against the Vandals. Place hitting and advancing base runners in every inning built up and maintained a lead that the Vandals could not overcome.
The Panthers’ third and final group game was against Bristol Division Two side Monkeys which saw their first defeat of the day. The Monkeys’ combination of greater experience, strong pitcher and big hitters were enough to stay ahead in a close game.
After finishing second in their group, the Panthers and qualified for the semi-finals of the Goram Cup, the side of the tournament for Division Two and Division Three Bristol teams
The Panthers semi-final was against Victorious Secret, another Division Two side who had won their group earlier in the day. An all round improvement in batting by team saw the Panthers take an early lead and excellent defense preserve this lead. The batting improvement continued and the Panthers extended the lead to secure their place in the final.
The final saw the Panthers take on the Monkeys, who had also won their semi final. It was a different game this time round as The Panthers confident batting continued and they put up a strong lead in the first inning.
“Our fielding positions had been changing a bit throughout the day, which meant we could put fielders into what we hoped would be their strongest positions” explained Dave.
This tactic paid off as some brilliant plays to nullify the Monkeys’ big hitters protected the Panther’s lead. Excellent batting from the Panthers’ female players ensured runs were scored and the Panthers’ to win the game and the Goram Cup!
In addition to entering regular weekend tournaments in 2019, the Panthers have entered the Bristol League and will play in Division Three on Tuesday nights.