The Guardian Bombers are the National Male Softball Champions of Belize. The 2013 National Male Softball Championship was played on Saturday March 29 and Sunday March 30, 2014 respectively, at Rogers Stadium the home of softball. The championship featured the champions Guardian Bombers and sub-champions Oceana Strikers from the Belize City Association and the Belmopan Bombers from the Cayo Association. The Esperanza Wolverines also from the Cayo Association were also scheduled to have played in the championship, but for unknown reason the team was a no-show to the championship.
On Sunday March 30, 2014, in the championship game, the Guardian Bombers playing in the national championship for the first time, scored first and never looked back from the bottom of the 1st inning, when it established its supremacy as the best male team in the country by defeating the Oceana Strikers quite handily by the score of 9-4.
The budding champions, the Guardian Bombers, batting in the bottom of the 1st inning scored 4 runs on 4 hits when it sent a total of 8 batters to the plate for an early 4-0 lead. The lead was extended when in the bottom of the 2nd inning it scored 4 more runs for a commanding 8-0 lead. The 4 runs in the inning were keyed by pitcher Milton Flores’ 2 run homer and short stop Nelberth Flowers’ solo blast over the centre field fence. The Guardian Bombers in two innings sent a total of 16 batters to the plate where it bombed the pitching of rookie Jerome Carr for an assortment of hits including 2 home runs and 2 runs producing doubles.
The Guardian Bombers scored its final run of the game and the championship in the bottom of the 6th inning when it sent 6 batters to the plate.
Meanwhile, the Oceana Strikers scored a single run in the top of the 2nd inning, 2 in the top of the 5th inning and 1 in the top of the 7th inning.
The winning pitcher was Milton Flores who struck out 8 batters, gave up 4 runs on 5 hits, and the losing pitcher was Jerome Carr who gave up 9 runs on 6 hits.
In the third place game played earlier in the afternoon, Oceana Strikers advanced to the championship round when it eliminated the Belmopan Bombers by the score of 11-10. The Belmopan Bombers scored 2 runs in the top of the 2nd inning it then added 3 in the 3rd, 2 in the 5th, 2 in the 6th and a single run in the 7th inning.
For Oceana Strikers, it scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning, 1 in the 2nd, 2 in the 4th, 3 in the 6th and 1 in the 7th inning for the win.
The winning pitcher was Conrad Gonzalez who gave up 10 runs on 7 hits, and he struck out 7 batters, while the losing pitcher was Deon Guzman who gave up 11 runs on 11 hits.
On Saturday March 29, in the first game of the day, Oceana Strikers defeated the Belmopan Bandits by the score of 15-0.
In the second game of the day, Guardian Bombers blasted the Oceana Strikers by the score of 10-1. The Guardian Bombers scored 2 runs in the 1st inning, 2 in the 3rd inning, 1 in the 5th and then it exploded for 5 big runs in the top of the 7th inning for the win.
The winning pitcher was Milton Flores who gave up 1 run on 3 hits while striking out 14 batters and the losing pitcher was Konrad Gonzalez who gave up 10 runs on 9 hits.
The following were the winners of the individual awards: Batting Average (Marconi Leal (.533), Home Runs: Marconi Leal (1). Nelberth Flowers (1) Milton Flores (1) and Onosra Myvette (1), Most Runs Batted In: Marconi Leal, Stolen Bases: Carlyon Flores, Most Strike Outs Konrad Gonzales-25 and Winning percentage: Milton Flores (2-0).
