The yearly National Slowpitch Finals organized by the Malta Baseball and Softball Association are here. This year, the reigning champions Mellieha Northenders will battle it out against the Sliema Patriots in a greatly anticipated event on the 14th of April at the Marsa Baseball and Softball field.
Leading up to this event, all 5 Maltese softball teams played 16 games each in the National Slowpitch League to determine the seeding for the playoffs. The 1st place Mellieha Northenders then hosted the 4th place Brewers in a playoff series while the 2nd place Sliema Patriots hosted the 3rd place Mustangs in another playoff series.
The first playoff series between the Northenders and Brewers was played on the 16th of March. Mellieha won 13 league games and faced off against a Brewers team who won 7 league games. The Mellieha Northenders dominated, winning 2 games by a score of 7 – 1 and 14 – 6 respectively. Strong offensive performances from Mellieha’s Michael Bartolo and teammate Masashi Suzuki led the way as they now qualify for the final.
The other playoff series between the Patriots and Mustangs was played on the 17th of March. Both teams won 10 league games, but the Patriots won the tiebreaker for 2nd place. The first game was a high-scoring nail-biter whereby both teams exchanged big offensive innings. Mark Buttigieg and Daniele Palumbo led the offense for the Mustangs whereas Dillon Adams and Jorge Acosta came up clutch for the Patriots. The game ended in walk-off fashion as Jorge Acosta of the Patriots delivered the winning hit, ending the game with a score of 14 – 13. The Sliema Patriots then cruised in the second game, winning by a score of 13 – 5 thanks to another masterclass by Jorge Acosta.
Everything is now set to host the Mellieha Northenders and Sliema Patriots in the final which will be played on the 14th of April 2024 at the Marsa Baseball and Softball field
