Burnside prevails

Press, 31 October 1977, Page 25

Burnside prevails

Burnside. deprived of its three star players, still built up enough runs to squelch attempts by Aorangi to overtake it in the senior women's softball on Saturday. Pitcher Robyn Storer, Penney King and Susannah Carroll were attending the National Coaching Clinic in Wellington. A struggle for dominance between Monowal and Jake United broke down in the sixth Innings when Jaks allowed Monowai to score nine runners and put its tally beyond reach. Pitting Western Suburbs against Albion was like sending lambs to the wolves and the 23-2 win by Albion caused no surprise. All three games were played In bitterly strong winds In Hagley Park. Albion 23, Western Suburbs 2 After a hard-hitting second Innings which brought home 13 -Albion players. Western Suburbs had to struggle just to contain the onslaught. Suburbs then brought on Lindy Inkster to pitch in the third, and she cut the run rate, allowing only six more runners home. However, Albion had had ample chance to show off its batting expertise. Batters right through ♦he order drove the ball into holes in the outfield. C. King smashed a homer and, over all, batted .300. But it was D:anah Paki who starred with her average of 1000. including a powerful double hit in the second. Paki, Vicki Morgan, Christine Quested, and Shirley Rainsbury a’l came home twice for Albion in the second contributing to very respectable averages. Rainsbury and Quested batted .750 leaving S. Constable. Morgan, Watts and King with two out of lour successful hits. Christine Timms and Linda

Clark saved Suburbs from being completely whitewashed when they reached home safely in the second. The side, with six of its players up from the schoolgirls’ grade, tvas no match for the experienced Albion side. Pitching figures showed up the relative strengths of tire teams. Albion gave up five hits, while for Suburbs, Karen Knight gave up 12 hits and Inkster gave up seven. Monowai 15, daks United 5 The sixth Innings was the deciding phase of the battle between Monowai and Jaks United. Nine Monowai players, many hitting fine flat drives, scored from 13 turns at bat and showed up some tardiness in Jak's fielding. MonOwai players were left alone as they stole from base to base and more alert fielding would have nipped this practice in the bud. Yet on paper Jaks made only two errors to Monowai’s eight. Gwen Gray scored twice in the sixth innings, once from a threebaser She got on top of the ball and hit three excellent drives during the game.

While the sixth innings clinched the game for Monowai, Jaks was desperately unlucky in the fifth. Trailing 3-1 and with bases loaded, Marge Wong struck the ball well but it was a foul. Wong was then caught leaving the runners stranded. Jak’s chances looked considerably brighter in the sixth when Pam Chambers, Karen Lawson and Barbie Clark crossed the home plate. Later, with two away, Faris momentarily restored hopes when she slashed the ball into the right outfield and homed. However Jaks was dismissed immediately after.

Not to be outdone, Monowal saw Bev Makinson and Philippa Maclean Score from a mighty 1 homer by Margaret Machirus.

The earlier stands of the game were much more tightly controlled with more alert fielding by both sides. Monowai was abruptly dismissed in the first and second innings by double plays and Jaks had only four batters up each time. The diminutive Pam Chambers running to two in the second, found that she had to scamper smartly back to one twice when Karen Lawson and Barbie Clark were caught. The third innings saw Wiki Martin striking the ball well and she was pursued round the bases by an intent Alison Coffey, who hit a three-baser. Burnside 13, Aorangi 8 Burnside made a promising beginning when first batter up, Sandie Hackwell, stole round the bases to score. However Aorangi was giving nothing away and the winners of the Bumside Motors softball tournament last week-end, had to wait until Bernie Straker homed Linda Shepherd in the second for its next point. The runs finally started to come in the fourth and fifth when 10 runners reached home.

But Hackwell had the final say as well when she completed scoring in the seventh innings. Hackwell’s average of .600 was Only bettered by Ranui Hapi who hit three out of four as well as one walk. Aorangi had its opening batter, Carol Popata. home too. and hi the third, Michelle Hudson and Christine Clotliier crossed the home plate. The following innings Clothier, who batted 750. smashed a threebase hit through to the centre outfield, but was stranded when the side was dismissed. Julie Turuwhenua and Wendy

Heta scored for Aorangi before Popata, who batted .GOO, and Clothier crossed the home plate in the sixth on Hudson’s homer.