Softball NARROW WIN BY PAPANUI

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30041, 28 January 1963, Page 3

Softball NARROW WIN BY PAPANUI

Deep Freeze Forces Extra Innings Deep Freeze, after its knockout tournament win, played a bright game against Papanul and forced an extra innings in the eighth round of the senior men’s competition on Saturday. However. Papanui managed to win the game. The games were played on Middleton Park for the first time and players liked the playing surface. The balls came off the ground truly to assist ground fielding. Results:

Papanui 16, Deep Freeze 14; Linwood 15, Kaiapoi 3; Richmond 13, Spreydon 4; United 22, Western Suburbs 14; Christchurch, a bye. Team points: Richmond 8, Linwood 8, Papanui 7, Spreydon 5. Western Suburbs 3, Christchurch, United, Deep Freeze, Kaiapoi, 2.

Papanui v. Deep Freeze After an entertaining game in the middle stages both teams started to work hard in later innings when the scores became close. Both sides realised they had a definite chance to take the game and the softball Improved immensely. At the end of the regulation seventh innings the score was tied and an extra innings called for.. Papanul picked up the run that won the game but the Deep Freeze team was playing good softball at the closure. The score was a surprise considering the relative standings in the championship.

Linwood v. Kaiapoi Linwood won this game with all the ease that its bstten allowed it. A bright spot was an amazing 10 strikeouts to A. Ballantyne, the Linwood pitcher, and a welcome return of J. Hooper to the short-stop position. Hooper signalled his return with a home run in the third innings. Kaiapoi played a game of complete rout with high feeling disrupting any attempt at constructive softball. The umpires, Messrs Keddie and Mather, were forced to issue two warnings for poor sportsmanship, and only the tolerance of these officials saved Kaiapoi from losing the game by forfeit.

Richmond v. Spreydon Spreydon was expected to give Richmond a great game and could have, on form, won the game well. However, Richmond played one of its better games and Spreydon was never in the race.

Smith, using a devastating curve, beat the Spreydon batters in a fine hurling exhibition. Spreydon, who at times looked like hitting with some purpose, made fielding errors that allowed the nippy Richmond base runners to turn base hits into gift runs. A. Tubman. at catcher for Spreydon, failed to stop some balls that allowed runners across home plate and the score to mount into impossible proportions for Spreydon.

United v. Western Suburbs Played on the Western Suburbs home ground at Denton Park this game failed to produce senior softball. Hlta equalled errors until United won by committing fewer fielding errors. Both these teams have played softball of a far higher standard than was exhibited, but they complemented each other's inefficiency with rare skill, in a poor encounter.