Recap
Sunday’s National Slowpitch Finals went down to the wire, requiring a nail-biting third game to decide the champion. Sliema got the ball rolling, scoring immediately in the first inning. Mellieha’s top of the order responded in the bottom of the inning, scoring 5 runs highlighted by a hit from rookie Owen Hardnen.
The Sliema Patriots took their first lead of the game in the 3rd inning. Israel Rangel, Diego Scuro and Dillon Adams got on base for Richard Avilez who drove them all in with a bases-clearing double. Mellieha retook the lead shortly after as Clint Grima drove in Matt Borg to tie the game followed by Michael Bartolo’s go-ahead two-run triple.
Resilient Sliema rallied again and tied the game with Jorge Acosta’s hit which scored Diego Scuro. The game went to extra innings. With Michael Bartolo on second base and the game on the line, Vincenzo Mazzamuto hit a line drive to center field which scored Bartolo and gave the Mellieha Northenders a hard-fought 13-12 victory.