By Roselyn B. Monroyo
Variety News Staff

THE 2006-2007 Elementary School Boys and Girls’ Fast-pitch Softball tournament kicked off last Monday at the Miguel “Tan Ge” Basa Pangelinan Ballfield with William S. Reyes and Dandan Elementary School splitting their matches.
The Dandan Tottots won the girls’ division, as the WSR Kingfishers failed to field enough players in the game.
The Kingfisher’s redeemed themselves in the boys’ division after pulling off an 9-8 win.
WSR was down, 3-8, at the top of the sixth inning, when the Kingfishers scored six runs at the bottom of the last inning to win their debut game.
Kenta Castro, Jose Lizama, Shace Palacios, Matthew Sablan, Jamaal Mresbeong and Jay Mark De Guzman scored the needed runs for the Kingfishers in the last inning.
Ray Tenorio, Teak Kwan Kim and Nathan Camacho nailed the three other runs in the second inning.
Nine teams are entered in this year’s fast-pitch tournament. Joining WSR and Dandan are San Vicente, Tanapag, Garapan, Gregorio T. Camacho, Kagman, Oleai and Koblerville elementary schools.
San Vicente was playing Tanapag yesterday, but only the results of the girls’ match were available at press time with the Canaries winning, 15-4.
The nine teams are grouped into two pools with SVES, Tanapag, GES, GTC and Kagman in Pool A and WSR, DES, OEA and Koblerville in Pool B.
The preliminary round will have a single round-robin format with each team facing the squads in their own group.
The top two placers in Pool A will then square off for the first finals berth, while the No. 1 and 2 squads in Pool B will fight for the last championship ticket.
Trophies will be awarded to the top three finishers in both the girls and boys’ divisions.
The girls’ finals is set for May 17, while the boys’ winner-take-all championship game is scheduled for May 18.
Games in the elementary school fast-pitch tournament start at 3:30 p.m. with the girls’ teams playing first. Matches in the boys’ division are set for 5:30 p.m.
The organizing CNMI Softball Association is encouraging teachers, parents and students to watch the games and cheer for their schools since this is the first time a fast-pitch softball tournament has been organized for elementary schools.