Softball Penultimate Stages In National Tournament

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29401, 31 December 1960, Page 7

Softball Penultimate Stages In National Tournament

(New Zealand Press Association)

ROTORUA, December 30. Auckland United, the winner of section A and unbeaten in the tournament so far. is one of the semi-finalists at the end of the fourth day of the men's national club softball championships being played at Rotorua. The other two semi-finalists are Cardinals (Lower Hutt) and Mirimar (Wellington) winner and runner-up of Section B.

The runner-up of Section A will be found when Hutt Railways and Broadway Demons meet tomorrow morning. The runnerup to each section will then play the winner of the other. Cardinals, with one loss, won section B when it defeated unbeaten Miramar 12-6 in the final game of the day.

This match was the most important played, although Auckland Bears needed to beat Miramar in the lunch-time match to still be in the running. Bears failed to the tune of 0-4 giving it two losses.

Cardinals put everything into its game against Miramar which was a certain semi-finalist. Had Miramar won, it would have complicated the runner-up issue. The Wellington team played rather sloppy softball. It did not include its star pitcher, M. Walsh, in the team, saving him for tomorrow.

Miramar’s classy fielding and tactics in keeping the ball down

in the stiff wind paid off handsomely against Bears and it accounted for the Aucklanders in 45 minutes. One of the main factors in its win was Walsh’s swift, yet inaccurate, pitching. He obtained four strike-outs, no walks and allowed two hits. Rotorua Buzzards in its second season had an exceptionally good day beating the prominent Richmond (Christchurch) team 4-3 and Wanganui Railways 14-6. It now has four wins from seven matches. ’ Results:— , Section A Hutt Railways 4. Wanganui Braves 0: Saints (Hawke’s Bay) 9. Technical Old Boys (Hamilton) 2; Auckland United 15, Rotorua Kahukura 1: Panthers (Southland) 18. Alhambra (Southland) 7; Broadway Demons (Wellington) 10, Saints 1; Auckland United 6. Wanganui Braves 0; Rotorua Kahukura 6. Panthers 1: Hutt Railways 7, Technical Old Boys (Hamilton) 0. Section B Auckland Bears 20, Cambridge 3; Ohakea 17, Wanganui Railway 9: Cardinals (Lower Hutt) 8, Dodgers (King Country) 4: Rotorua Buzzards 4, Richmond (Christchurch) 3: Miramar (Wellington) 4. Auckland Bears 0: Rotorua Buzzards 14. Wanganui Railways 6: Richmond 7, Ohakea 2: Cambridge 7. Dodgers (King Country) 3; Cardinals 12, Miramar 6.