The 17th season of the Malta National Baseball League came to an end last Sunday, when Mellieħa Northenders and Żabbar Devils battled each other in a three-game series for the final showdown of the year.

This was Mellieha's eighth straight appearance in the National League Championship Series while the Devils were contesting their first ever final.

The Devils and Northenders faced each other four times during the 2010 regular season, splitting the series with two wins apiece, anticipating that the title could go either way.

Unfortunately, Żabbar's title hopes were taken away from them when the Northenders swept the Devils in two games over last weekend, with Mellieħa increasing their total number of titles to ten in 17 years.

The Northenders dominated both games, with timely hits and strong pitching from their staff, eliminating the need to play Game three this weekend. This was the second successive year that Mellieħa had lifted the championship trophy and their sixth title in seven seasons.

Dedicated staff

It was a well-deserved success for the Northenders, as they have many dedicated individuals who work very hard not only to be the best, but also to promote baseball and softball in any way possible.

Northenders' player/manager Keith Bartolo and coach Ray Bartolo are two people who clearly stand out from this list of individuals, having dedicated so much of their time over the past few years to turn Mellieħa into the leading club in Malta.

Mellieħa have also produced three senior ball-players who have played with Dutch and Italian clubs over the past two years, with one of them currently playing in the top Italian division.

The Mellieħa club also has a very strong nursery with three young members selected to participate in the 2010 World Baseball Children's Fair in Tokyo, Japan, which will be held in July.

A female slow-pitch softball club has also been formed this year.