Softball Suburb’s hopes realised

Press, 26 November 1979, Page 27

Softball Suburb’s hopes realised

"Wouldn’t !t be nice to finish the game in five innings . with us in front?” an ardent Western Suburbs supporter sighed wistfully. So often in the senior women's softball competition, Suburbs, matches have finished in five but almost invariably the opponent has won —by the cricket score.; But the Suburbs supporter and her cohorts had their wishes realised on Saturday when Aorangi went down. 4-14. for its ninth straight loss of the season. it was a bright and entertaining clash between the competition •‘wooden spooners." featur-j jng some lusty batting and a luckv-dip flavour to the fielding. Suburbs fortunes were at a lower ebb earlier in the afternoon, when Monowai brushed the team aside to win 9-0. It was an emphatic display by Monowai. a team that has struggled on occasions this season, and more can be expected from it in the coming games. The third match of the day was a very close-fought affair between Jaks-United and the competition front-runner, Albion. United, a Jekyll and Hyde team this year, played exceptionally well to hold Albion to its slender two-run victory, and it was unrecognisable as the same side that lost the previous week to Suburbs. Some tough talking from theUnited coach. Heather ThyneJ must have sunk home to the players through the week, be-! cause the team was appreciably tighter in every department. Albion did not make the best use of its numerous chances, but iti was a tribute to the improve-; ment in United’s play. Competition points and placings after Saturday’s games:— : P W L F A Pts Albion 8 8 0 63 1 16J Burnside 8 7 1 62 16 14 Monowai 9 5 4 51 37 10' United 9 3 6 33 34 6 Suburbs 9 3 6 40 62 6 Aorangi 9 0 9 14 122 0 Albion 2, Jaks-United 0 United unfortunately struck!

I the Albion pitcher. Cheryl Kemp, . on a good day. Kemp faced 25 , b i?y er \ a , nd stnick out 12 of 5< em ’ 2 n,v l^re e batters, Gwen 9£?y. Bernie Straker and Barb ’ u!!’ 1 " 1 ma n a ged to graft safe >; nits and Gray’s advancement to . third was as far as any Jaks t Player managed to get in the • game. I United did well to contain the > free-scoring Albion batters until i the fourth innings. > Kemp broke the drought when she hit on to first, was advanced to second by Phil Wyatt, made third on an error and was brought home on a sacrifice hit by vVendy Bell. 1 , .Vicki Glendinning notched Al- . bion s second run on innings i jater. She managed to make first base on an United error — five : errors were made by the Jacks ; players in the match, two of • xvhich proved costly — when she i should have been tagged, stole [ second and came home on a ; drive by Danae Gooseman. Glenndmning’s diving slide just eluded the outstretched glove of > the Jaks catcher, Marj Mayo. : Albion had six runners "left on bases in the game, runners that could have stretched the score ,*even more but for some slick . work in the field by Jaks. Heather Craig and Straker both dis- , tinguished themselves with their ’ work in the field. Monowai 9, Western Suburbs 0 Monowai was never in any danger of losing this game, but the [ runs could only come in dribs and drabs until the final two ingoings. Five runs in the last two MonoKwai turns at bat gave the team a flattering margin that was not al- • together deserved. Suburbs’s errors and fumblings cost the team dear. At least four runs could have been prevented iwith smarter fielding and crisper, quicker thinking. .! Monowai’s Margaret Machirus t opened the account in the first when a Suburbs fielder dithered about deciding where to throw , the ball; Kristine Smith scored in the second when she sneaked in »to third on an error and came home on a wild pitch; Marylin

Thompson’s hit in the fifth was misfielded, allowing Bev Makinson the easiest of strolls across the home plate; and Smith notched her third run of the day when she ambled in on a passed ball in the fifth innings. Machirus scored her second in the third innings on a fielders’ choice, and Smith was batted in for her second run of the day in the fourth innings, scored by Char Mac Lean. Nancy Beale scored in the fifth when she made third on a big swat and came in on a drive by; Makinson, and the Monowai total was reached with runs to Beale and Machirus in the sixth. Suburbs 14, Aorangi 4 Although Aorangi came with a: late run — three runs were scored in the bottom of the fifth , — it was not enough to stave off. a five-innings defeat by Suburbs. ■ Caroline Renney picked up thei only homer of the game in thei third, scoring Karen Knight at same time. Suburbs already held a match-winning lead then after Sharon Sunderland, Sharon

Mansfield, Sue McCullough and Knight had come home in the i first, and Vai Fitzsimmons walked home from third on a wild pitch. Mansfield. Knight and Anita Luka took the score to 10 in the fourth, and Fitzsimmons, Knight, Mansfield and McCullough completed the run fest in the fifth. Aorangi’s batting was spasmodic that often promised much butfailed to deliver. The first run was scored in the second when a Suburbs comedy of errors allowed Aorangi to load the bases. But only Merelene Williams managed to score on a hit by Joyce Reuben; the rest were left stranded on the bases. With bases again loaded in the bottom of the fifth, and the prospect of extending the game to seven innings in sight. Carol Popata batted in Rose Lee, Janine Fendall scored Popata. and Reuben again batted in Williams. But another chance had gone begging, and the game ground to