Softball Papanui drubbed by Jaks

Press, 4 February 1980, Page 17

Softball Papanui drubbed by Jaks

A dispirited Papanui side suffered its worst drubbing in vears when it lost 0-11 to JaksUnited in the main senior men s softball match at Papanui Domain on Saturday. Papanui was outplayed in all departments. ’lts batters were shaded bv 11 hits to four and two terrible fielding errors were directly responsible for a run in each of the second and the fourth innings. The feature of the game was the finding nf form by United’s American import, Jim McCasland. who was in tremendous touch with the bat. McCasland scored four runs and batted 1000 with two singles, a three-bagger, and a “walk” after being hit by a pitch. In United’s early game with Lyttelton, McCasland had struck out twice more (taking his total in Christchurch to four in two games) before finally coming up with the Inevitable safe hit. United won this game. 10-0. in six innings for a remarkable over-all tally for the day of 21 runs'and none against.

Still, United was unable to shake off Jaks-City from its equal position at the top of the points table. City had its fourth win of the new competition, beating Western Suburbs. 6-1. a) i Nunweek Park. In other games Papanui struggled to beat Richmond, 5-4, after once enjoying a handsome lead while Suburbs downed Albion. 6-3. in the second game of its double-header at Nunweek

Jacks-United 11, Papanui 0

This was a disastrous match for Papanui after the fine start when the first three United batters were' disposed of without managing to make first base. McCasland’s first run — which came when the catcher. Chris Chapman, inexplicably threw into an open space in the top of the second'inings — perhaps signalled the sort of day it was going to be for the home team. United went up to 2-0 when Paul McFarlane smacked a home run between centre-field and right-field in the third innings, hut it was the fourth which finally put paid to Papanui’s chances.

Three runs came in that fourth innings with McCasland. the first one home, again benefiting .from an error — this time a throw from Papanui’s third baseman, Eric Tomlinson, which went well wide of first. A three-base hit from Leon Fife, which found the outfielder. Garry Bishop, with sun in his eyes, brought home Dennis Dolejs and Fife followed on his heels later on a safe bunt by Billy Rintoul.

Papanui’s pitcher. Geoff Roberts, was replaced on the mound in the fifth bv a young newcomer. “Chub” Tangaroa, but he had little more luck. Four good hits, including a homer by Maia Toa and another Fife triple, brought in four runs and two more in the sixth ektended the lead to 11-0. i In the first five innings three Papanui players got as far as second base without really looking like scoring. The first really positive move came far too late; in the bottom of the' sixth with two down Dale Eagar and Tomlinson srung together hits, only for the next batter, lan Saunders, to be put out on first.

Apart from the undoubted star, McCasland. United’s top batters were Leon Fife and Billy Rintoul, who both had .666 averages with two hits. Dave Bradburv, . the pitcher, distinguished himself with one very sharp return catch from a hit by Murray Reid.

United 10, Lyttelton 0 Home runs by Maia Toa and Bryan Mountford in the sixth innings marked this easy shut-out victorv over Lyttelton which never' managed to get into the game. After three innings United had a 4-0 lead and three further runs were added in both the fifth and the sixth to force the early closure. Paul McFarlane and Toa both batted 1600 for United while Brvan Mountford two out of four) and Mark McFarlane, who collected three successive safe hits, also distinguished themselves.

All Lyttelton could manage off the pitching of Dennis Dolejs was a solitary hit by Dennis Wiersma. Dolejs “fanned” seven of the 18 batters he faced, giving up just the hit and a walk (Dean Couch). Papanui S, Richmond 4 Although Richmond has yet to have a win in the new competition at least there was cause for optimism here with some glimmerings of form starting to be revealed. Richmond actually out-batted Papanui by six hits to three and,

when the result looked beyond doubt, pulled up from 5-1 to level at 5-5. This caused a female team supporter to cry: "Richmond never says die." Unfortunately for Richmond Papanui got the run back straightaway with Eagar scoring in the top of the seventh when Saunders hit into the infield.

| In spite of the inferior hit I count Papanui could well have ■won this match by up to 10 runs. Over the last five innings the team had an amazing eight plavers left on base, against Richmond's one (two altogether). Papanui just could not produce the hits necessary ;o get the base[runners home. Richmond had opened the scoring in the bottom of the second when Kevin Steel was hit home by Laurie Laurenson. It took Papanui four innings to get going with a lovely two-run homer by Saunders struck through a slightlv shallow outfield. Runners were left stranded on second and third at the end of the innings. The lead was pushed out to 4-1 in the top of the fifth with runs from Geoff Roberts and Tony Bishop. Again, a runner was left to languish on third base, with another on first. The game looked lost for Richmond when it batted up in the' bottom of the sixth innings. I However, the player-coach, Greg I Panagiotidis, hit on and camel home when Doug Chee's certain] one-bagger was converted into a! home ren thanks to an error of judgment by Tangaroa, at right field, who waited for — and was beaten by — the bounce. And the scores were then sensationally levelled when Steel walloped a home run through the outfield. Chee and Steel won the honours as top batters of the match with two hits out of three. Laurenson and Papangiotidis had one each for Richmond, as did Tony Bishop, Saunders and Rob-; erts (a two bagger over the in-i field: for Papanui. Jaks-City 4, Western Suburbs 1 Jaks-City dictated the terms of the game right from the outset in the first of a double-head for Suburbs. City went through eight batters in the top of the first innings. scoring Michael Hall and Ray Marsh, with Roger Hutton tagged on home-plate, and a fur-! ther three batters left on bases. John Daly added a homer for City in the third innings, and a two-bagger by Murray Lanini and a safe hit. by Wayne Poore scored Keith Pullar, Suburbs came back into the

game in the bottom of the third when David Claude hit safely to make firs; base, and was tagged on second from a hit by Ross Paniora. A combinatin of stolen bases, passed balls, and fielder's choices scored Paniora.

City replied in the fourth innings with a run to Ray Marsh, and Michael Hall extended the lead in the fifth innings. The only other Suburbs' batter to make base after the team scored was Mike Tyree, who! gained a walk in the fourth innings. i

City strung together 12 hits from the indifferent pitching of Colin Sutherland, who took only one strike-out and conceded four walks. Lindsay Anderson again proved his worth for City by pitching nine strike-outs for one! safe hit and two walks.

Western Suburbs 6, Albion 3

If Albion bad managed to; eliminate basic fielding errors it; would have given Suburbs a tougher fight. As it was, Albion! was 2-6 down going into bat at I the bottom of the seventh innings and it managed to load the; bases, score Max Clarkson and have Vince Daly tagged on home plate, only for the top of the batting order to fail — still witn me bases loaded.

After four innings, though, Suburbs enjoyed a 4-1 lead with two runs in both the third and fourth. Pau! Gardiner's threebagger in the third batted in David Claude to open the scoring.

Albion came back in the bottom of the fourth inning when Ken Stove made first on a hit. Jamie Waretini followed it up by hitting to eenre-field. Hut Sieve fell over after rounding second base and Waretini was making ground for that base. Stove picked himself up and dashed for third, while Waretini. who was caught between first and second, managed to elude an easy out to end up on second base. Suburbs were then given a real dressing down. Stove went on to score and Waretini had to stay on third for want of a hitter.

Suburbs picked up two more runs in the top of seventh innings when Gardiner hit a twobagger. and scored off a throwing error from a hit by Rennie Tai. Tai, too, was to come home on a fielding error.

Park. " POINTS TABLE A Pts P AV L F Jaks-United 5 4 1 33 R Jaks-City 4 1 24 3 8 Papanui 4 3 1 13 19 5 AV. Suburbs 3 3 2 20 21 6 Lyttelton ,3 2 3 7 25 4 Albion 3 0 3 6 14 0 Richmond 5 0 5 9 24 0