Softball Six Teams Unbeaten In National Tourney

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29398, 28 December 1960, Page 11

Softball Six Teams Unbeaten In National Tourney

(New Zealand Press Association)

ROTORUA. December 27. Six teams—Broadway and Miramar (Wellington), Richmond (Canterbury). Bears and United (Auckland). and the title-holders. Hutt Valley Railways—were unbeaten at the end of the first day of the national softball club championships at Rotorua today. The weather was fine and the Rotorua High School grounds, where the tournament is being held, were in perfect order. The biggest upset of the day was when Richmond beat the strong Cardinals team, one of the leading sides in the Hutt Valley Association, 1-0

This, the final match of the day was a crowd-pleaser. It amounted to a clash between the two pitchers, A. Ballantyne, the South Island pitcher for Richmond, and R. Smith, for Cardinals. Ballantyne got eight strike outs, no walks and allowed only one hit. Smith obtained three strike-outs, no walks and gave away two hits. No runs had been scored at the top of the seventh innings with Richmond batting.

The biggest win of the day was when Broadway beat the young and inexperienced Panthers team from Southland, 32-0. The Southland combination went better the second time, however, going to a twomatch winner United, 6-1. . The tournament is being played in two sections and will continue for the remainder of the week with the final on Saturday afternoon. The provincial championships for the Beatty Cup will begin next Monday

and will finish on January 8. The final match will be between New Zealand and the Rest on January 7. Results today were:— Saints (Hawke's Bay) 14. Alhambra (Dunedin) 4; Broadway (Wellington) 32, Panthers (Southland) 0; Cardinals (Lower Hutt) 7. Cambridge 1: Mlramak (Wellington) 6. Ohakea 0; Hutt Valley Railways 7. Kahukura (Rotorua) 0; Richmond (Canterbury) 14. Wanganui Railways 1; Bears (Auckland) 15, Buzzards (Rotorua) 0; United (Auckland) 9. Technical Old Boys (Hamilton) 0: Broadway Demons (Wellington) 6, Wanganui Braves 3: Miramar 18. Dodgers (King Country) 3; Bears 9. Ohakea 2: Hutt Valley Railways 5. Saints (Hawke's Bay) 3; Cambridge 10. Wanganui Railways 4: United 6. Panthers 1: Richmond 1, Cardinals 0: Kahukura 24, Alhambra 7