Papanui A Leads Softball

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31863, 16 December 1968, Page 12

Papanui A Leads Softball

Papanui A took a clear lead in the Canterbury men’s softball championship when it beat Richmond, 5-4, at English Park on Saturday. Papanui’s batting was the decisive factor. The pitching honours were shared by K. Smith (Richmond) and M. Reid. Smith appeared to be steadier but Reid showed great control in the sixth innings to strike out T. Smith, when Richmond had the bases loaded with two batters dismissed. There was a minor upset when a depleted Avon reversed its first-round form to edge out Deep Freeze. 4-2. United beat Kaiapoi by the same score. In another first round reversal. Papanui B. which had gained its only point at the expense of Western Suburbs, could not maintain its progress and lost. 4-6.

Results.—Papanui A 5. Richmond 4, Avon 4. Deep Freeze 2, United 4. Kaiapoi 2. Western Suburbs 6. Papanui B 4. Points.—Papanui A 9, Richmond 8, Kaiapoi 6. Deep Freeze 5, Avon 4, United 3. Western Suburbs 3, Papanui B 1. Papanui A 5, Richmond 4 In the main game at English Park, under ideal conditions, Papanui once again was the master of Richmond in a closely contested game. Papanui began well when C. Chee hit a beautifully placed home run between the outfielders, D. Daw and R. Storer. Papanui went further ahead in the second innings when I. Pollock hit a mighty threebagger. which had Daw in a spot of bother, and completed the run with a brilliant slide home on a G. Phillips hit. He was on target again in the fourth innings with a home run down the third-base line. Three runs down. Richmond fought back when, with two out, K. Smith smashed the ball between left and centre field to score P. J. Joyce and complete the home run. although the catcher. B. Waine. just missed tagging him. K. Smith blotted his copybook in the fifth when, attempting to retire C. Chee at second,; he made a terrible throw which

Handed on the cycle track and allowed Chee to score. D. Chee also scored when K. Smith: (failed to hold a hard shot from, R. Sherratt. It was then Papanui’s turn for errors when M. Nalepa made third base on Sherratt’s fumble. He then came home in a slide when T. Smith was caught by Phillips. K. Bingley, who had been hit a couple of; times by pitched balls, now got' his revenge with a soaring! homer that bounced clear on l to the far terraces. That was the end of the scoring and the most notable event: of the concluding two innings occurred when Bingley tagged D. Chee and whipped the ball to D. W. Lew to complete a neat! idouble play. Avon 4, Deep Freeze 2 Because of injuries and the absence of some players, Avon! 1 took the field with a rather makeshift team. K. Marcum caught R. Bartley and whipped the ball into first to catch B. Mansfield off base, and later struck out K. Chapman. It then appeared that Deep Freeze had the measure of Avon. A good hit to left field by B. i Stull scored W. Mays to put I Deep Freeze one up but it did! not score again until the fifth innings. R. McKenzie was pitch-! ing beautifully for Avon and in the first two innings he made four strike-outs, and assisted, in two other dismissals at first: base. In Avon’s fourth innings good l batting by K. Palermo and 8.. McGregor helped Palermo and C. Mawer to score. Deep Freeze looked dangerous when T. Schadel tried to steal second. but a quick throw by the catcher, Bartley, and a brilliant tag by Mansfield stopped that move. However, the Americans were back again in the fifth innings 'and drew level on a terrific [home run by Marcum. Good [fielding by McKenzie. Palermo. I and Chapman kept Avon in the game to start the last innings ,on level terms.

■ The one weak link in the Deep 1 Freeze infield was at short stop iand the Avon batters, in taking I control of the pitching, showed no mercy for the hapless J. Starr. With the bases loaded Chapman hit hard to left field to score Bartley and McKenzie but made the third out when he was called for an earlv , lead-off. I Schader looked dangerous ■ but he was tagged when F IWeges hit to Mansfield who [then completed a smart double [play to end Deep Freezes ; hopes. I United 4, Kaiapoi 2 United brought off a big surprise tvhen a good display of pitching by K. Davis was sup- | ported in a team effort by his ! fielders. Kaiapoi struggled hard |to get two runs. Although L. Seaward, pitchilng for Kaiapoi. got four strike[outs, the United batters were [able to hit him. and out-batted i Kaiapoi by six hits to four. ; The game was virtually won for United in the third innings 'when D. Parry narrowly beat ithe catcher, D. Hammond, tn 1 open the scoring. B. Hurrell came home on B. Shaw's hit: land J. Peterson scored when K. Thorn reached first base on IR. Johnson's error. United wen’ [to a four-nil lead in the third winnings when Hurrell, with a smash hit to left field, drove in I Davis. I Although Kaiapoi managed tn ‘score Johnson in the fourth land D. Mundy In the fifth, and |R. Bennet put in some Stirling work on third base. these efforts were not good enough. 1 Three really good catches in the last innings by G. Roberts, including a brilliant dive tn dismiss Hammond, made certain of a win for United. Western Suburbs 6, Papanui B *4 In another reversal of firstround form Western Suburbs took a handy 4-1 lead in the first innings and hung on until the sixth, when, although Papanui had crept up to within one. run. McLennan and then K. Smith scored to put the issue beyond doubt.