Softball COMPETITION GAMES

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29739, 5 February 1962, Page 11

Softball COMPETITION GAMES

Linwood Beats Papanui

The senior men’s softball competition was continued on Saturday in conditions that were wet for the early afternoon game, with a greasy playing surface and, brilliantly fine and warm for the later games. The LinwoodPapanui fixture drew a large gallery and the game lived up to all expectations. Christchurch allowed Spreydon only two hits but committed a host of fielding errors to lose and allow Spreydon to remain in sight of the leaders.

Kaiapoi gave Richmond a fine game, closing the gap of early Richmond runs to tie Uie game in the final innings. But Richmond drew away in its last time at bat. Results, were:— Linwood 9, Fapanui 8. Spreydon 11, Christchurch 4. Richmond 11, Kaiapoi 5.

Fapanui was determined to lywer the competition leaders', Linwood. arti played aggressive softball throughout. It never allowed Linwood to settle down •”d held the lead for most of the game. Linwood, with backs to the wall, also gave a brilliant display. Fapanui started with batter after batter hitting the pitching of Ballantyne cleanly, to harass the Linwood fielders, and Papanul scored an unbelievable four runs to begin in sensational fashion. Most teams throughout the season have found it hard to score four runs off Ballantyne in a whole game. Linwood finished Its first innings with Hooper on base but no runs on the board. Fapanui was confidently taken in the outfield three in a row to cancel out the second time to bat. Linwood, supported by good hits from the middle and lower order batters, had runners on bases. Trueman and Hooper swept the runners off the bases with hard hitting and Linwood scored four runs to tie the game. Papanui, which had started with Bell as pitcher, then brought Clarkson into the position.

Linwood was hamstrung by the change of pace and Clarkson hurled some intelligent balls across the plate to tidy up the game and cancel out the Linwood third and fourth frames. Clarkson, second to bat to the fourth Papanui innings, tagged one from Ballantyne for a long home run and as Truemen picked up the ball, Clarkson strolled home to give Papanui a run and the lead.

Linwood, at a disadvantage, tried to get a hit off Clarkson and finally broke through to the fifth innings.

The depth of Linwood’s batting was again demonstrated with the bottom batters Green, Whittington and Ballantyne all hitting safely to add four runs to the total before Hooper was hustled out on a ground hit to end the innings. Ballantyne. with some leeway allowed by the three run lead, faced three batters to each of the Papanui fifth and sixth innings, and sent them down in order in a classic display of pitching. After yielding four runs Clarkson had been replaced at the pitching position by Bell. He forced three ground outs in the sixth innings and to Papanui’s seventh innings the unexpected happened. Showing tremendous determination the Papanui players. led by Clarkson and Bisman. assaulted the pitching of Ballantyne with sweeping drives to the outfield. Chee and Walne followed up with clean hits to score three runs and tie the game with Linwood having last bat to end the regulation seven innings. Needing one run to win, Linwood faced a fiery Bell. Tudor was grounded out. Green struck out, and Whittington was relayed out at third base. This three-ta-a-row clean-up put the game into an extra innings. Papanui faced Ballantyne at his most hostile. Clarkson hit safely for the fourth time to as many times at bat. but Blackler and Blsman grounded out. Ben was out in questionable manner with the batted ball bouncing off his shoulder. Linwood scored the winning run to a minor masterpiece. Bridgeman, who is perhaps the biggest batter in the competition. had the fielders scattered to the fence to readiness for the long ball. But Bridgeman dropped a trickling bunt down the third base line and Trueman sped home to score the winning run.