King of the Diamonds third qualifier next month

The race for the third qualifying slots for the 2008 Budweiser King and Queen of the Diamonds Softball Tournament will be held on Sept. 13 and 14 at the Capitol Hill Field.

The qualifying tournament is a co-ed event with each team required to have players who are at least 18 years old. Each squad must also have two female players on the field at all times and is allowed to list a maximum of 15 players on its roster.

The third qualifier will have a double-elimination format and an entrance fee of $150.

Winner of the two-day tournament will join early qualifiers Shell Marianas and Natibu in the championship round set for October and will have a chance to represent the CNMI in a tournament in Palau.

Shell Marianas, which is composed of players from last year’s champion No Ka Oi, took the first qualifying berth in May, topping the nine-team first round beating SaiPal in the finals. Total Chaos finished third.

With their second and third place finishes, SaiPal and Total Chaos gained entry to the wild card/consolation phase of the tournament on which the fourth and last qualifying seat will be at stake.

The wild card round is set for Oct. 4 and 5 and is for teams which place second and third in the first three qualifiers. If a squad had already qualified, the next two teams will take the two wild card berths.

The second qualifying tournament was held early this month with Shell Marianas prevailing anew, beating Natibu in the finals. But Natibu automatically claimed the second qualifying ticket, as Shell Marianas had already made it to the championship round.

SaiPal and Total Chaos were the third and fourth placers, respectively, in the second round. But since they are assured of slots in the wild card phase having placed second and third in the first qualifier, fifth placer Sufa and sixth-ranked On Da Rox will notch two of the remaining four seats for the wild card phase.

The last two wild card tickets will go to the second and third place teams in the third qualifier next month.

The wild card phase will have a single-elimination format with the winner joining Shell Marianas, Natibu, and the top placer of the third qualifier in the championship round scheduled for Oct. 11 and 12.

For more information, contact Joey Dela Cruz at 664-2503 or 287-6509. [B][I](Roselyn B. Monroyo)[/I][/B]