Papanui, United in final

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34097, 8 March 1976, Page 14

Papanui, United in final

The senior men’s soft- 1 ball competition chain-pion-of-champions final will hold great significance for both United and Papanui. when they meet next Saturday to decide the outcome. Papanui met United in the first round of the competition at South Hagley Park last Saturday, and the game narrowly ’ went to United. 2-1. This is the sixth time that the two top teams have met this season, and both have got three wins. Thus the final is also a champion of champions for the season, not just among the four top teams. The game was also significant last Saturday be-: cause it was the second time, in the six matches that the’ final score went beyond 1-0. Pau! McFarlane, opened the scoring for United, in the bottom of the first, making a safe hit, and then being hit home by Duncan Daw. However, ii was not until the bottom of the ninth that Dave Bradbury made a safe hit, followed by another:

I hit by Douglas Honey to ; bring Bradbury home, and make the final score 2-1. after Papanui Had equalised. However, interest centred around a very determined . United-City side, and one player in" particular. TonyMount ford. In its first round. UnitedCity beat Richmond 5-2. to '■ eliminate Richmond from the competition. Tony Mountford, made his first ■ mark for the day batting 1 1000 against Richmond. United-City then went on to play Papanui, to decide who would meet United in the champion-of-champions finals. The match was a hard, exciting struggle, but a plucky United-City went down to Papanui 2-3. after some bad breaks, including a collision : between right outfielder, Roger Hutton, and secondbase man. Tony Mount ford. This caused an easy catch from a flyball by Tony Bis-. : hop to be missed and he gained second base. He was. : then hit home bv Bruce Chee. Mountford injured his ribs, in the collision; but he decided to keep playing.:

) With the score 3-1 to Pai panui in the bottom of the . seventh, United-City pulled out all the stops. Lead-off 1 batter. Chris Vesty, safe-hit j to make first, and made sec- ? ond on a sate hit from • Mountford. However. Mountford collapsed when he - reached first base, and he r had to be taken to Christi church Hospital, UNITED 2, PAPANUI 1 I Lcited got on top earjx in the , game to be 1-0 ahead in the but ’ tom of the first innings, after an error allowed Hani McFarI lane to fake first base, and he , was then hit home by Duncan Daw ! Good pitching by Dave Brad-- . bury and good fielding bv (. nited prevented Papanui from | scoring until the top oi the - fourth, when Chris McDonald . sate hit to centre field, made second on a pass ball, and stuje > third. With two down. Nicky | Oorscboi. at first base, commit ted an er rox to allow Bruce , 1 Uhee to take first, arid McDon- • , rid to come home, making the score l-i However. Oorschot made uv • for the error by making a safe 1 hit in the bottom 01 the seventh. , to be followed by another lasi ’ ground shot by Leon File, to uct • - Oorschot to third with a great’ scoring chance. Bui Paul McFar-; , iane. at the top of the hatting 1 •order, was taken out at fii.-t t<.» end (he innings. In the top of the ninth. McDonald and Bruce Waine were, left on bases lor Papanui. and ■ • at the bottom of the same inn-

ing*. Bradbury »afe hit. ar, 4 came home on a hit by Dougiui Honey to give United the wm. Pitching tor United. Eradburv touk to strike-out-, and con ceded three sale hits, wliile tor Papanui. Geoif Robext? took tv o strtke-outs. and conceded wi\ sate hits. PAPANUI 3, UNITED-CITY ? A very determined Cnifed-Cl’ took an early lead against Pap rf uui, when Gary Lawrence, at t e top of the batting urdrj. sa:e hit in the bottom or the • innings. He advanced to on a sacrifice bunt, by I eix Lawrence, and came home o a two-bagger by Man Ha ’ Hov ever, pitcher Murrax Reid, va replaced by Geoft Roberts. the next two batters wr-e caught foul Papanui had an early rhance to c when Reid n ad< base on a sate hit. but an oxethrow by right fielder. Ro f Hutton, allowed him to make third ba-e. However, with hatters down. Bruce M aine v „ taken out at first, and Reid left on third. Rut PapanuFs chance came tribe top of the fourth after ? (collision b< i\'.een set ond ba-e man. Tonx Mountford. and Hut ton. trying to take a fi\hall t -c> Tonx Bishop. Thi>. allo’ r 1 Bishop to reach necond b. se. and he wa- hit home bx Brm e < er to level (he score l-all In the top of the fifth. John Petersen made se. ond base < an overthrow by third ba.-emar Ross I tie. and he advanced t« third on a sacrifice bit hx < obr Ghee. < hi is McDonald the* stepped no to the nlate. and i. r ;» home run to left field, which also brought Petersen horn* This made the score 3-T. United-<'itx never gave up

<nd it came right back into 1 <► game, in the bottom nf the seventh innings, when lead batter. Chri« Vest' made a <«f* | hit. to be followed bv another | from Monntford. who. iiufort’u ate]'. cnHarxed at fir-t ba-e be ■ause of the injuries su-taired • n the collision in the fourth innings. A runner was then ’substituted flow ever. Wavnr \in«lex <• a< stmek out bv Papanv pit<-)i»»i Geoff RobeH’- A s- ; ?ifice bit b Rof’er Hutton brnueht Vest home after lie had stole'i second ind -übst fiite runner. Tin' Law relive, made third. The game then hung on th* b'H of Paul Emms a< United <* itx would have equalised ’ awrence came Imm* Rm Emms struck the first pitch straight in the ah. which wa* • aught bx the pitcher. Geoff Roberts. T~ov Pananui Mu-rav Re>d oonvederf Hvo safe h fs in half an innings, and <;enff Robert* ♦onk pnir strike-nuts and con • three spr*» hfr« the ••<■ maind*’ of tb* game, while Man n.ait tor Lndod-( jtx . tool, one and conceded four safe hits UNITED-CITY 5. RICHMOND 2 ( nited-City opened the -corm, in the bottom ol the second inn ings. after a safe hit bx ( ’n >*- X esty. to be followed bv safe hits bv Mount ford and Hutton to bring Vesty home in the following innings. Gary Lax*, rente made first on an error, and came home on a >. te hit b Tiny Lawrence.. Richmond replied tn the tor of the fourth, when Kelly Smit! gained first base after tight out fielder Rogert Hutton, dropped (he ba J). However, he xvas tagged between first and second b;-*e 1 allowed Terry Smith to t;.ke first. Terry Smith also took second on a fielder ’s < I «-j<e he came home after I. nited-f itx txtr-hcr. Xian Hal] overthre\* to iiiG base. In the bottom of the fourth I nited-City managed to get Gai' Lawrence and Vestc home to make the score 5-1. after Rom* fife had come home earlier The final shot of the game was fired in the seventh innings when Kevin Steel, for Richmond hii a two-bagger, and a fieldei - choice brought him home Pitch’ng fox Richmond. Ton Prescott took two '-trike-outs and conceded eight safe bits and t" •• walks. while UnMed-< itx < pitcher . Alan Hall, conceded tv o safe hits and took nn strike out Tony Mountford had the dittr tian of battiris ior.fi fnr I’nrted <'itx