LATE CHALLENGE IN SOFTBALL

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31631, 18 March 1968, Page 18

LATE CHALLENGE IN SOFTBALL

The Dustin Cup holder, Monowai A, survived an unexpectedly strong challenge from Avon in the senior women’s inter-club softball competition on Saturday. A three-run burst in its final innings enabled Avon to come within one run of Monowai. The champion side, however, had an innings to spare at the end. . Results: — Monowai A 9, Avon 8. Christchurch West 13, Spraydon 4. Both Avon and Monowai scored two runs in the first innings, but for the next four times at bat Avon found B. Makinson’s pitching and the tight Monowai fielding too great a hurdle to surmount.

Two home runs by N. Beale and good hits by Makinson, C. Brown and J. Moher helped Monowai to establish an 8-2 lead after five innings. But the side’s fielding fell into error and Avon scored three runs in its sixth innings and a further three runs in the seventh. A

home run by Makinson restored the lead to Monowai.

Spreydon held a slender lead against West until the third innings; but from that point the West fielders prevented all but one runner from gaining base safely. West did not gain its first run until the fourth innings, but from then on its aggressive batting and swift base running produced a steady flow of runs.

H. Thyne (Spreydon) and L. Lydiate (West) showed good form with the bat, both gaining three hits from four innings. P. Hollands (West) gained two strike-outs and conceded five hits, compared with Thyne’s three strike-outs, eight hits and four walks.

Second Grade.—Western Suburbs 11, Vanguard 4; Wigram 12, Monowai 9; West 14, Teachers’ College 12.

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