The National Airports Corporation (NAC) Jets have claimed the 2023 Port Moresby Women’s Softball Association Corporate Competition, defeating Exxon-Mobil with a 4-3 point victory on Saturday, the 29 of July at the Bisini Softball Diamond Park, Port Moresby.
NAC snatched the Slowpitch Corporate Competition Championship in the tie-breaker, leaving the runners-up trailing with just an unlucky point difference.
Though NAC displayed a strong performance to bag the title, Exxon Mobil put up a spirited fight and gave NAC a run for their money.
The decider had everything. Both sides rose to the occasion and delivered a highly entertaining softball spectacle. NCA tried to outrun Exxon-Mobil by 3-2 points, but the runners-up kept on asking questions of the eventual champions.
NAC Jets team captain, Rei Martin said: “In the first inning, our batters hit the ball high so they were able to catch them. Also, we made a lot of fumbles where there was a runner home. So, they capitalized on those errors.”
“Our batting improved in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th innings. We planned to beat them in the 5th inning but we failed,” Martin explained.
During the 6th inning, Exxon-Mobil battered an equalizer (3-3). Back in for the tie-breaker, during the 7th inning, both teams competed fiercely. However, NAC Jets made a golden remark after capitalizing on Exxon-Mobil’s fumbles.
“We have made it through the grand final because we believe in ourselves. We prepared well. We had a tough match with Exxon Mobil,” Martin said.
Meanwhile, there were three other grand finals being held for the Plate, Bowl and Shield categories. Six teams have competed for these titles.
In the Plate Final, Santos Blue Kumuls played against Southern Cross Assurance Limited (SCAL) Stars. Santos Blue Kumuls won 8-7.
The Bowl Final saw Nambawan Super (10) taking on NDB Haus Moni (3). Nambawan Super defeated NDB Haus Moni and walked away with the Bowl title.
In the Shield Final, ABT Sluggers (20) battled it out against NBC Kundus (19). Sluggers claimed the Shield with a lucky tie-breaker point.
In addition, POMWSA President Ian Soweni said: “The competition has been entertaining and fun for everyone and their families. The participating companies have showcased incredible performances. We have ended the competition on a good note.”
In the meantime, POMWSA is doing a fundraising drive in preparation for its upcoming season. They will host their 2023/24 competition in October.
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