By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

The first year Lady Hitmen will meet the pennant winning Bommer G Lady Operators in the women’s final of the NPSA – New Providence Softball Association.

At the Bankers Field in the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex Monday night, the Lady Operators needed an extra inning to pull off a 7-6 thriller over the YII Shipping Lady Wildcats to secure their berth into the final. They took the best-of-five series with a 3-2 advantage.

The Lady Operators is now slated to play the Lady Hitmen, who swept aside the defending champions Proper Care Pool Lady Sharks when they completed their series with a 10-0 shutout on Thursday night. However, the final won’t get started until the men’s playoffs are complete.

League officials opted not to play the men’s playoffs until the men’s national softball team returned from the Pan American and World Championship qualifying tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico, last week. The men’s playoffs is now scheduled to get started on Thursday.

In Monday’s finale between the Lady Operators and the Lady Wildcats, the game was tied at 4-4 at the end of the seventh inning. But in the top of the eighth, Bommer G got a run from Tyrice Curry, Latheria Brown and Neressa Seymour to take a comfortable 7-4 lead.

The Lady Wildcats, however, only managed to come up with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame as they fell short of at least tying the game and possibly forcing a fifth and deciding encounter. Wandalee Burrows had scored the tying run on an error to force the extra inning.

Desiree Coakley came in relief of starter Sharnell Symonette in the bottom of the sixth to pick up the win. Mary ‘Cruise’ Edgecombe-Sweeting was tagged with the loss.

Seymour ended up leading the Lady Operators offensively with a 3-for-5 night, driving in a run and scoring twice.

The first game of the NPSA men’s playoffs will be played on Thursday between the second place Dorin United Hitmen against third place YII Shipping Bulldogs.

In the feature game, the pennant winning Bommer G Truckers will face the fourth place Blue Chips Buccaneers.

The winners of both the women’s and men’s championship will represent New Providence at the Bahamas Softball Federation’s National Championships set for the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex November 1-4. It’s being dubbed “The President’s Cup” in celebration of the BSF’s 40th anniversary.

The NPSA is expected to be included among the anticipated field of seven men and seven women teams in this year’s round robin that will pay homage to Michael Moss, Austin Knowles, Churchill Knowles, Neko Grant, Greg Christie, Romell Knowles and Burkett Dorsett, all of whom at one point led the federation.