United loses softball championship lead

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32776, 29 November 1971, Page 10

United loses softball championship lead

Until Saturday’s defeat, United had shared the leading position in the minor championship with Papanui, both teams having suffered one loss.

! However, while Papanui had batted in 41 runs for 21 against, United’s ratio was an alarming 14-7, and it appeared only a matter of time before it would lose again. Deep Freeze’s victory was based on powerful clutch batting and some excellent defensive work by the infield. The young centre-fielder, S. Richardson, slammed a home run with a man “aboard” during his team’s big fourth innings, four-run rally, and a number of other players batted aggressively.

However, it was the manner in which the infield, with W. Hicks and D. Krauss comi pleting many dismissals, backed up the controlled pitching of P. Spillane, who had transferred from Papanui a few days earlier, which played just as important a part in the win. In the curtain-raiser, A. J. W. Prescott, who also transferred from Papanui last week, pitched a one-hitter to help Richmond to a comfortable 8-0 win over Kaiapoi. At the Papanui Domain, a four-run rally in the third I innings by Papanui ended any hopes which Western i Suburbs might have nurtured of toppling the leader. Papanui eventually won, 6-1. For the loser, N. Hobson, a second baseman, continued his remarkable batting “streak” with another two safe hits, and M. Barry lashed a left-field home run in the seventh innings to score Western Suburbs’s only run. The Papanui out-fielder, D. J. Patterson, had a fine game, gaining three safe hits from four turns at bat and claiming several difficult catches in the field. Deep Freeze’s upset win has allowed Richmond to draw level with United in second place. The American servicemen’s team is itself level with Western Suburbs in the “race” to claim minor championship prize money and the chance to contest the more lucrative grand final at the end of the season.

DEEP FREEZE 5, UNITED 3 United appeared to be about to continue its hazardous but nevertheless winning habit, when B. W. Mountford’s single scored the new first baseman, N. Alchot in the third innings. With A. G. Mansfield experiencing difficulty in holding the pitching of Spillane, United gaining four safe hits and Bradbury “fanning” seven Deep Freeze batters up until that stage, it could not have helped feeling confident of extending its record.

However, matters were changed dramatically with Deep Freeze’s fourth turn at bat. D. Krauss and W. Hicks both hit safely and E. L. Crown and J. Summers took advantage of fielding errors to contribute two runs.

The United right-fielder, M. Rewai, dived to take Summer’s fly, but lost the ball on impact with the ground. He sent a swift return back to M. Nelepa, but the little catcher dropped the ball in attempting to “tag” Krauss at home plate. Crown scored on Hicks’s hit, and the tall Sunmmers also attempted to drive through the “tag” of Nelepa for another run. Nelepa was knocked heavily to the ground by Summers, and was later heard to comment aloud on the use of "grid-iron” tactics after some angry exchanges between the two players. However, he had managed to keep hold of the ball and so had the satisfaction of making the dismissal.

United’s tenuous stay at the top of the Cooper Henderson Motors senior men’s softball championship ended on Saturday when it was outbatted by Operation Deep Freeze to lose 3-5 at English Park.

Richardson’s home run, which also enabled Hicks to score, followed immediately afterwards when Rewai’s desperate lunge was again foiled by the hit.

Down 1-4, United was able to draw to 3-4 with runs by Rewai and D. W. Bradbury in the fourth and fifth innings respectively. However, another run to Deep Freece, scored by Richardson after a hit by K. Westfall, in the seventh innings, and United’s failure to respond with its final turn at bat, ensured Deep Freeze of victory.

Spillane gained just one strikeout and conceded hits to Bradbury, Alchot, Mountford, K. Thorn, and J. Peterson. However he caused United’s batters to ground out or hit into the air for easy catches on many occasions.

His opposite, Bradbury, gained 12 strike-outs and conceded hits to Richardson (two), Mansfield, Krauss, Hicks, and Westfall. Umpires: Messrs J. Rochford (plate) and J. Anderson. RICHMOND 8, KAIAPOI 0

A fifth innings rally, which began and ended with A. J. W. Prescott in the batter’s box and yielded six runs, contributed to Richmond’s shut-out win. The Kaiapoi pitcher, M. McConnell, gave up hits to J. K. Smith (two), P. J. Joyce (two), D. Chee,

P. McFarlane, and Prescott. His opposite, Prescott, conceded one hit —to M. Don —and pitched with good control in gaining seven strike-outs.

Umpires: Messrs Anderson (plate) and Rochford.

PAPANUI 6, WESTERN SUBURBS 1

Some fine team-work, in which B. Waine, D. Phillips, and D. J. Patterson all hit safely initially, B. and C. N. Chee made sacrifice plays and P. J. Morel gained a safe bunt, helped Papanui gain four runs at the top of the third innings. Patterson, who lashed a double and Morel both scored in Papanui’s other productive innings—the fifth—after fielding errors and erratic pitching by L. Fife. Although it had loaded the bases with none down in the third innings, Western Suburbs faced a shut-down loss with its final turn at bat. However, Barry’s home run into left-field allowed his side to place one run on the scoreboard.

For Papanui. G. A. Roberts took eight strike-outs, pitch-hit three batters, and conceded hits to Hobson (two), R. J. Mullally and Barry. His opposite, Fife, gained three strike-outs and gave up hits to Patterson (three), D. Phillips, Morel, B. Chee, and Waine.

Points table Senior A — P W L F Pts Papanui 8 7 1 47 22 14 United 8 6 2 17 12 12 Richmond 9 6 3 55 36 12 D Freeze 9 3 6 39 45 6 W Suburbs 9 3 6 39 45 6 Kaiapoi .. 9 1 8 30 67 2 Senior B:— P W L F A Pts Pap. Aces 7 i 0 78 8 14 Somerfield 8 4 4 61 61 8 United .. 8 4 4 70 71 8 Services 7 3 4 64 62 6 Richmond 8 3 5 58 83 6 Pap. B .. 8 2 6 57 98 4