Three-way tie in softball

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32803, 31 December 1971, Page 3

Three-way tie in softball

(From Our Own Reporter) AUCKLAND. The magnificent form of Hawke’s Bay’s pair of pitchers, G. Arnold and 0. Walford, caused havoc on the fourth day of the Beatty Cup men’s inter-provincial softball championship at Hobson Park, Auckland, yesterday.

Walford pitched Hawke’s Bay to its second win over the overnight co-leader, Auckland, in the morning, and Arnold meted out the treatment to the other overnight co-leader, Hutt Valley, in the afternoon. Hawke’s Bay won both matches, 1-0. The upsets have resulted in Auckland, Hutt Valley, and Wellington—the titleholder—being tied in first place with eight wins each, while Hawke’s Bay is next with seven wins.

Today, Hawke’s Bay will play Canterbury and Otago, and on yesterday’s form, should finish the day with two wins. With Wellington playing Hutt Valley this morning and Auckland this afternoon, Hawke’s Bay may find itself in first-equal positions this evening.

The new New Zealand pitcher, Walford, who now appears to have reached top form after an indifferent beginning, took Hawke’s Bay to its second win over Auckland. Walford pitched the first no-hitter involving leading teams in the tournament, and also hit L. Leitch home

in the seventh to give Hawke’s Bay a 1-0 win. In the Hawke’s Bay-Hutt Valley match, Arnold outpitched J. D. Dawson to cause another upset. Arnold fiiiished with seven strikeouts and conceded three hits, and Dawson managed six strike-outs and gave up four hits.

A. Warren, the second baseman, bounced a hit over the infield to score S. Glasspole for the game’s only run in the second innings.

An error when it was two down enabled Hutt Valley tq load third and second bases in at the top of the sixth innings, but the New Zealand first baseman, Sorenson, hit a fly ball for the third dismissal.

Canterbury suffered two defeats yesterday, holding Wellington to 4-0, and losing 0-15 to Auckland when heavy rain wrecked Canterbury’s chances in a single innings in the middle of the game. Wellington 4, Canterbury’ 0

Canterbury demonstrated the extent of its improvement during the tournament when it held the powerful champion to only four runs. It was thrashed 14-3 in five innings by Wellington on the first day. The two destroyers of any aspirations Canterbury might have held of toppling its opponent, were the veterans P. J. Priddey and W. E. Henderson. Both took four hits from as many turns at bat off Canterbury’s pitcher. G. A. Roberts, with Priddey I lashing home rims with his first and second turn. I

Once again, Roberts was slow to settle down, and Wellington hit in two runs in the first and second innings. Although he got into a troublesome situation in the fifth innings, with loaded bases and one down, Roberts escaped unscathed by retiring the other two batters to complete the game strongly. Although they took five hits off the Wellington pitcher, J. Fowler, the Canterbury batters were generally unable to counter his spin and movement in the air.. However, C. N. Chee reached third base in the first innings, and P. J. Morel and D. Egar hit safely with two down in the second. But Morel was retired at third base in a controversial umpiring decision which proved unpopular witfi" the large gallery. Besides Henderson and Priddey, only D. Cheyne, J. Lowes and B. Nichols—with one hit each—were able to take hits from Roberts. All are New Zealand representatives.

Mountford led Canterbury’s’attack with two hits, with Chee, Morel, and Egar lashing the others.

Auckland 15, Canterbury 0 A 10-minute downpour of rain when Auckland led 2-0, enabled the host province to pound Canterbury to defeat with a 12-run rally at the top of the fourth innings. Up to that point, G. A. Roberts had used the stiff breeze to restrict Auckland to two hits, its runs being scored on errors by D. Rea and C. N. Chee in the third tinnings.

However, Roberts was unable to maintain control in the wet, giving up three walks and a triple to M. W. Forsyth, and making a disastrous overthrow himself to allow Auckland to force five runs.

P. Spillane was substituted for Roberts, but the rout continued. By the end of the innings, 16 batters had been to the plate; Forsyth and Kohlase, who each drove in two runs, and D. Hayward, with a home run, being the most successful.

Canterbury’s lead-off batter, C. N. Chee, who lashed three singles from as many times at bat, sparked threatening situations for Auckland when the bases were loaded in the third and fifth innings, but on both occasions he was unable to score.

Roberts completed the match with an analysis of one strike-out, three walks, and three hits, and Spillane conceded a walk and seven this in relief. Results:—

Beatty. Cup.—Wellington 4, Canterbury o ; Hutt Valley 7, ? ta ?“ I: ,„ H ?. wkc ’s Bay 1, Auckland 0; Wellington 11, Otago 1; Hawke’s Bay 1, Hutt Valley 0; Auckland 15, Canterbury 0. ..Points—Auckland, Hutt Valley, Wellington all 16, Hawke’s Bay 14, Canterbury 8, Otago 6. Headifen Memorial Trophy.— Manawatu 2, Nelson 0; Waikato 5, Wanganui 0; Southland 14, Counties 3; Waikato 5, Nelson 0; Wanganui 8, Counties 1; Southland 5, Manawatu 1. Points.—Waikato and Southland 4, Manawatu and Wanganui 2, Counties and Nelson 0.

Ed Barr Cup.—Bay of Plenty 7, Army 0; Navy 6, Horowhenua 3; Army 5, Horowhenua 1; Navy 7, Air Force 2. Points.—Navy 4, Bay of; Plenty and Army 2, Horowhenua and Air Force 0. |