Final Four set in govt softball

It’s down to the final four teams in the Inter-Government Slow-Pitch Softball League playoffs as No Zone, DCCA, DOL, and the Governor’s Office are all that remain of 11 teams that advanced to the postseason.

After squeaking past the Division of Environmental Quality, 5-4, the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation experienced a power outage on Tuesday night as they ended up on the painful end of a 21-5 score against No Zone.

The CUC dug a hole early as No Zone took a six-run lead in the bottom of the first, and continued with a run in the second and third before erupting for 10 in the bottom of the fourth for an 18-3 advantage.

CUC pitchers were apparently unable to stay out of the no zone over home plate as the No Zone finished the game smacking 21 runs off of 24 hits—including 10 hits in the fourth inning alone.

With the win, No Zone advanced to the semifinals where they will take on the Governor’s Office for a shot at the championship

The Gov’s took their next step in the playoffs after aggravating the Division of Agriculture in the bottom of the seventh inning by scoring three runs to win the game.

After trailing 4-0 through four and a half innings, the Gov’s took the lead with a five-run fifth. The lead was short-lived, however; as the DOA came to play in the top of the six and regained the lead by scoring a pair of run to go ahead 6-5. After shutting down the Gov’s in the bottom of the inning, DOA added an insurance run in the top of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to hold back the reelection connection.

A late-game rally also gave the Department of Labor a lift into the semis as Law and Order let an 11-7 lead slip through their hands when DOLI exploded in the top of the sixth inning with 12 runs off of 12 hits.

The L&O show answered with five runs in the bottom of the inning but was unable to overcome the DOL damage in the 19-16 loss.

DPS Fire also came to play in the night’s first game, but the smoke eaters were unable to douse the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs on their home field in an 11-4 rain-shortened affair.

DCCA let loose a five-run volley in the bottom of the first before the Fire boys notched a pair in the top of the second to draw to within three, but the Sports and Rec boys came through with six runs over the next three innings to take the lead before the precipitation caused the cessation of the occasion.