The Virgin Islands Little League Softball League came to a successful conclusion when all six teams converged at the Rudy Krieger Ballpark in Sion Farm, St. Croix for a weekend filled with softball.
This is the second year of this territorial league, which features three teams from each district. The Lady Lions, Diamond Dolls, and Lady Indians are from St. Croix. Sistahood and Lady Angels are based on St. Thomas. St. John is home to the Lady Gems.
Teams played district games early in the season. The weekend of April 4 – 7 the St. Croix teams made the trip to the St. Thomas-St. John district for the first of two rounds of inter-island games. Inclement weather seriously threatened the second weekend of competition on St. Croix as the entire territory has been saturated with rain for the past few weeks.
The workers of the Sports, Parks, and Recreation Department made sure the Rudy Krieger Ballpark was ready for action on Thursday, May 9. In the opening game, Sistahood just got by Lady Indians 7-6. Lady Lions were too much for the Lady Angels in their 17-2 victory in the second contest. The nightcap saw Diamond Dolls using a 13-point third inning to pull away from the Island Gems in their 19-8 win.
On Thursday evening, the heavens opened and the games were moved to the Isaac Boynes Ballpark in Grove. Diamond Dolls pounded out eight hits on their way to a 16-2 victory over the Lady Angels in the first game of the day. Island Gems used a big sixth inning to outlast the Lady Indians in their 13-10 win in the second game. Sistahood won the final game of the evening 7-0.
The games were moved back to Sion Farm on Saturday and here are the results:
Game 1 – Lady Indians 16 – Lady Angels 10
Game 2 – Lady Lions 13 – Island Gems 6
Game 3 – Sistahood 10 – Diamond Dolls 0
Game 4 – Lady Lions 21 – Lady Angels 2
Game 5 – Sistahood 11 – Lady Indians 1
Game 6 – Diamond Dolls 17 – Island Gems 2
This brings the 2024 Virgin Islands Little 12U Softball League to an end. Sistahood finished the league undefeated for the second consecutive year. Here are the league standings and the top performers from the league:
- Sistahood 19 – 0
- Lady Lions 14 – 4
- Diamond Dolls 11 – 7
- Island Gems 5 – 13
- Lady Indians 3 – 14
- Lady Angels 2 – 16
Top Batting Average
- Jelissa Cochrane .679 Sistahood
- O’Knaiyah Williams .588 Lady Lions
- Nia Byron .567 Diamond Dolls
Most Runs Batted In
- A’Kairah Christopher 36 Lady Lions
- Shu’Niyah Greenaway 35 Sistahood
- O’Knaiyah Williams 32 Lady Lions
Most Hits
- Shu’Niyah Greenaway 22 Sistahood
- O’Knaiyah Williams 20 Lady Lions
- Sayre Murraine 19 Sistahood
- Jelissa Cochrane 19 Sistahood
Most Wins
- A’Kayra Fleming 9 Sistahood
- J’Kayla Mercer 9 Sistahood
- Solange Sage 7 Lady Lions
Most Strikeouts
- A’Kayra Fleming 86 Sistahood
- A’Kairah Christopher 68 Lady Lions
- Selena Baptiste 61 Island Gems
Lowest Earned Run Average
- A’Kayra Fleming 40 Sistahood
- A’Kairah Christopher 56 Lady Lions
- J’Kayla Mercer 09 Sistahood
League Commissioner Richard Clendinen is planning to hold a summer league to keep the girls playing. Within the next few weeks, the league will also hold tryouts for the Little League Softball Regionals in Puerto Rico. The Virgin Islands will send 12U, 16U, and 19U teams. All three teams will be comprised of the best players in the Virgin Islands. They will be playing for the right to represent the Caribbean in the Little League Softball World Series.
