By JONATHAN BURROWS

IN a nail-biting finale at the Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium on Wednesday, the Reapers Baseball Club won the New Providence Amateur Baseball Summer League title with a hard-fought 4–2 victory over the Rebels in Game 5 of the championship series.

The game began as a pitchers’ duel, with both teams tied at 1–1 through four innings. 

However, the fifth inning proved to be the turning point. The Reapers seized their opportunity and mounted a rally, plating two unanswered runs that gave them a 3–1 lead. The Rebels pushed back with one answered run, but it was the Reapers who held firm with a late insurance run in the sixth inning and a timely fly ball out in the seventh that sealed the victory.

Rebels catcher Rashad Martin reflected on the feelings after such a tough loss and the moment when momentum shifted.

“It’s always a heartfelt feeling to lose a game like that. Last game was a good game; we just didn’t execute. We hit the ball, but we just hit them at people, we couldn’t find no holes,” said Martin. “In the fifth inning, we just had some crucial plays that we missed, for example, I missed a crucial play, and I think it was third who missed a crucial play, but it happens and is a part of baseball,” he added.

Reapers outfielder Tate Issac, who stepped up as the team’s spokesman this series, shared what it took to win.

“Everyone was putting the ball in play, getting hits and putting base runners on to make a play, and everyone was doing their job,” Issac said.

Alfred Ferguson, the Reapers’ first baseman and team manager, offered insight into his team’s regular season and how that prepared them for this series.

“It was a journey to get here, definitely a journey to get here. This is the first season in almost 20 years so everyone was kind of excited but it was still a bit rocky… early in to the season we were still waiting on guys to commit, everyone wanted to make sure it was legit before they started investing their time in to it but once we got everyone to buy in, at that point it was smooth sailing,” Ferguson stated. “A lot of the guys on this team haven’t played baseball in years, but it’s like riding a bicycle; once you do it a couple of times, you’re right back in it,” he added. 

Reapers pitcher and series most valuable player, Keshon Conlife, reflected on playing two games, starting and ending as the pitcher.

“I don’t know how I did it, a lot of icy hot, but you just have to go. I play outfield a lot, so I’m used to throwing. My arm hanging, but I got the job done, the team backed me up, and we came out victorious, and that’s all that matters,” said Conlife.

The Reapers’ road to the title was anything but easy. After the Rebels took an early lead in the series, the Reapers forced a game five by dominating with a 10–0 win in game four. In the finale, though, both teams played hard until the decisive fifth inning swung the championship back toward the Reapers.

With this win, the Reapers are crowned the 2025 NPABL Summer League Champions, capping off a long season marked by resilience.