KUWAIT CITY, Jan 16: After a jubilant and eventful opening ceremony culminating with the United States Ambassador to Kuwait, Matthew Tueller and Sheikh Dhari Al-Sabah, Chairman of the Hunting and Equestrian Club throwing the traditional “first-pitch” of the season to players Tareq Al Qodmani and Fahad Alayoub, the Kuwait Little League (KLL) 2011- 2012 baseball season officially got underway at the Martyr Sheikh Fahed Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah Baseball and Softball Fields.
Immediately following the opening ceremony, all four fields were put to use, starting out the day on the Tee ball field were the smallest players of the league, the Tee ball division with the Gloria Jeans Coffee’s Rays vs Dodgers, then followed by Selem General Trading Marlins vs Red Catering Phillies and the morning ended with the US Embassy Rockies vs Al Tamimi Tigers. Although no scores are kept for this division, there was still plenty of competition amongst these 5-7 year olds.

Once all the action of the Tee ball division finished, it was the Challengers division turn to take the field. The only Challengers division in the Middle East and Africa region going into its second year of play at KLL, the players and their “buddies” were anxious for the season to start and looked striking in their new uniforms. Like the Tee ball division, no scores are kept, but the players showed their skills and their drive to play the best game. The two teams are represented by the McDonald A’s and the BSBC Padres.
The Minors Division opened their season with the Selem Marlins vs the Kefan Optics Indians with the Marlins winning. Following their game the next two Minors teams went into action with the Rangers facing the home team, Mets with the Rangers winning their first season game. As every year, the Minors seem to draw the biggest and loudest cheering fans.
The Majors2 Division saw the Hunting and Equestrian Club Rangers faced off with the Diamond Backs in an action-packed game with both sides going neck and neck in an exciting nail biting last inning; the Ranges pulled out the win in the bottom of the last inning. The last game of this division for the day pitted the Warba Insurance Reds against the Gloria Jeans Coffee’s Rays with the Reds coming out on top.
Elsewhere in the afternoon, the girls Softball division started their season before a large crowd of supporting fans with a solid win from the Police Eyewear Giants over the Mimar Dodgers. The NBK Red Sox were challenged by the KEO Twins in the second match of the day with the Red Sox coming out on top.

The Mets and Bioconservacion Navagantes opened the season for the Majors Division with the Mets taking the game by the score of 11-1. The Navagantes kept the game close through three innings with a dual between starting pitchers Jose Madrid and Grant Kerry. In the first, the Mets got three runs by timely hitting from Grant Kerry and Arlis Troutman between walks to Yousef Kowdan and Yasmina Bizri. The Navagantes loaded the bases in the bottom of the first before Grant Kerry settled down. In the second, the Navagantes threatened again with two runners on before Kerry struck out the side. In the fourth, the Mets opened up with hits from Arlis Troutman, Aryamaan Chugh, Nishaun Turner, and Ali Al Maghrabi. The big hit being an out of the park home run by Arlis Troutman. The Mets also showed a little base running speed from Ali, Haitham Khalil, and Sinil Kim.

In another afternoon Majors game featuring the Gloria Jeans Coffee’s A’s vs. ASAR Red Sox, the visiting A’s scored the first run of the game with a steal to home plate by Hassan Sakkez, but the Red Sox dominated the end of the first with three of their four runs with steals to home by Ian Brown, Zak Little and Clifton McFarlane. The A’s came back with two runs in the second with a defensive error allowing Bayan Rezvani and Yousef Abuhamdeh to score. However the Red Sox batting by Zak Little who hit a double with bases loaded allowed three runs for the Red Sox to finish with five runs total. A home run in the bottom of the fourth inning by Elijah Munday sealed the fate for the A’s and the Red Sox won 15-4.
The first Seniors Division game of the season saw the Bader Sultan Bros. Padres vs Al Atraf Yankees with the Yankees winning 15-5. The first inning saw the Padres score one run from an RBI by Nosher Puri, but the Yankees quickly showed their strength by scoring 7 runs at their turn at bat. Ali Ali and Khalid Al Azmi both hit triples to score runs and lightning speed base running by Khalid Al Azmi and Tareq Al Qodmani to steal home availed runs as well.

The Yankees shut down the Padres in the 2nd inning and went on to score two more runs from a double by Ali Ali. In the third inning the Padres scored two runs and gained the first season out of the park home run over center field by Rashid Borisly. The Padres crept back with two more runs in the fourth inning off hits by Yousif Al Zaid and Mishari Drissi, but in the bottom of the fifth, the Yankees came back with four more runs to defeat the Padres. Solid pitching on both sides was led by the Padres Rashid Borisly and Ali Sakkez and for the Yankees Khazna Al Azmi.
The second Seniors game was played as a double header for the Al Atraf Yankee’s against the Cuz Creations Red Sox early Saturday morning. The spectators of this game were not to be disappointed in what turned out to be a back and forth match between these experienced players. Fans were treated to the second home run in the division by Yankees, Khalid Al Azmi. However, the Red Sox were able to overpower the Yankees to go on to win their first game of the season.