Monowai women win softball

Press, 20 December 1978, Page 6

Monowai women win softball

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I Monowai won the _pre Christmv<, women’s softball competition. i and clinched a place' in the ! hsfiona! Inter-chib championship, with a thrilling 11-irinmgs viutc.ry over Burnside at Haglty .Park. last nighii After seven innings the score l ■ was tied jit 5-aIl, unci it was: not Uintß. An tie Wansbocougif bunted An the bottom of the tweifth- ■ nearly tv.o haul’s after the game had, . started—that’ Alison Colic? i managed .to scamper heme for i the .winning run. ! The warm, blustery conditions were more su »ed to a picnic ■ than a tense and exciting game of softball, .nd while the gtr.er- ■ ous sprinkling of spectators I basked in the conditions, it made (things difficult tor the players. The strong nor’west wind • swept across the diamond, mak-; ing homers next to impossible,! and both sides had to reh on j smartly-taken steals and th? odd fiat drive to make the bases. I Individual stars abounded. Vai I Jardine made eight splendid i catches for Burnside in the out ! iieid. while Phil Mac Lean replied! in ! 'ind for Monowai. Wansborough’s timelv bunts eont. muted greatly to her •• eventual victory as they moved miiners around the bases into better positions, and Jane Earn shaw was stead v for almost the! enure game in the field for Burrside. She made one lovely double! play in a vital position. It was unfortunate for Earn-i shaw that one of her few errors: allowed Monowai to snatch the I win, lor it was an overthrow to Penney King on first base that! let Coffey in to home at the! bottom of the eleventh. Burnside opened the scoring.! and most impressively, in the third. I Marilyn Lee reached first base! on an error, and was brought! [home on a three-bagger bv King. l Aath Noonan reached first base and King scored, and as Anthen reaver and Shirlev Rainsburv made good hits the bases were leaded and Monowai appeared 1 flustered.

t Earnshaw stepped up to b..t 'and a safe hit, coupled wi;r w ■ tend hideous Monowai iirm-., 1 allowed all the iunreis i <.;: . ! It was the only time in the i in its next turn at bat. the b.>• es were quickie loaded and a two bagger by Be» Makinson bio u t Wiki Martin and Mac Lean m to score, and lht\ were quickly followed bv Wansborough, baited i i b\ Nancy Beale. Monowai scored again in : :e sixth to tie up the game. Krs tine Smith came home <>n an n field error and a sacrifice hit in Coffey brought in Mai tin to level tiie scores. Tension mounted through the next 10 innings as both >ides sought the breakthrough to um the game. Both teamw mana ed to gain good scoring positions, but smart fielding prevented runs until the eleventh. Monowai managed 13 safe hits irom the pit .’hing of Ranui Hap: compared with the nine struck by Burnside, and commuted six errors, three fewer than its opponent.