Top women’s teams win

Press, 20 October 1980, Page 23

Top women’s teams win

Albion and Burnside both scored big win* and retained their unbeaten records in the senior women’s softball championship on Saturday.

Albion t, United 0 As expected, Albion overpowered United, but United contributed much to its defeat by injudicious batting. Cheryi Kemp pitched impressively, stinting out 10 batters, allowing no walks and conceding only one safe hit. Her deadly “sucker” ball claimed the united victims regularly and only Jan Vanderworp hit safely, but she was tagged out in succeeding play when she overslid the second base.

The game opened dramatically when Micky Hudson, fielding at third, ran 10m to take an aerobatic flying catch to dismiss an Albion batter. But from then Albion dominated the game with precision play. Chris Tew scored after she had placed a delicate burit towards first to become a base runner. Danae Goosman batted safely at each turn at bat and made her weekly home run. Penny Salton, Kemp and Sharon Constable all scored for Albion after breaching the United fielding with skilful batting. In contrast, United fished for everything. In spite of the urIgings of its coach, Heather , fhyme, the batters Invariably at- . tempted to hit the high outside I pitches. Although United is certainly capable of batting well, Saturday was not the day. Chris Clothier and Sandra Ewing just could not read the pitching, especially tlie “sucker” pitch. The Albion coach, Jim Gibson, was pleased with his team's batting. The team only started hard training this week, and if Saturday was only “warming up” then Albion’s going to be the team to beat.

Nancy Hazelwood struck a huge hit to the., outfield, but after reaching home was given out on an appeal play for failing to touch second base. Tills- is the fifth time in three weeks that a senior woman base-runner has ruined her good work by failing to touch every base fn the circuit.

It is to be hoped that this disturbing trend is stopped before representative fixtures start. Burnside 10, Western Suburb* 0. In a disappointing game at Hagley Park, Burnside easily defeated Suburbs with efficient fielding and determined baserunning. Bad lapses in batting concentration and uninspired fielding cost Suburbs dearly. The latter was highlighted when Chris Timms, the energetic Suburbs catcher, valiantly pursued a flyball half-way to first base and very close to the fielding line, only to find to her horror that none of her team had anticipated a throw home, permitting the Burnside runner on third to score almost by default. The Suburbs coach, Neville Hobson, inventively alternated the pitching responsibilities between Donna Gooch and Caroline Rennie almost every innings. This might have upset the infield role continuity but gave Suburbs a greater pitching spectrum. With the aid of an indifferent Suburbs infield throw. Jane Earnshaw opened the first innings for Burnside by extending an easy single into a triple. Penney King put down a fine sacrifice bunt to score Earnshaw.

Robyn Storer, the former NewZealand captain, followed with a bunt that trickled lazily along the line and she was called safe in a very close decision. The next batter, Anthea Feaver, was walked. Suburbs elegantly' executed a force out at third to strand Storer and Feaver for the innings. The Suburbs Innings was dismembered w’hen Feaver plucked two well-judged catches from the air.- Burnside extended its lead

when seven players crossed in ■the third innings. Kmg and Storer both collected triples. The suburbs errors contributed to tne score against them. For most of the game Suburbs adopted a very defensive strategy, the infielders being set well back. This enhanced the Burnside bunting success. Both teams, however, evidenced a general inability to slide into bases correctly, although with some of the almost delayedaction fielding, this was hardly necessary- -•"-■■■ Monowai 11, Red Sox S

In a game that was even until the fourth. innings. Monowai eventually succeeded in holding off the Red Sox challenge. The game was electric with the prospect of an upset win by Red Sox looming large for much of the game. For Monowai, Margaret Machirus scored in the first Innings. Bev Makinson came home in the fourth innings as did Nancy Beale and Marilyn Thompson. Ann Wansbrough scored twice and Aim Mathias scored when thev were walked

and then advanced with safe bunting. Phil Mac Lean maintained her high standard of batting with a good triple. Katherine Eiffe caught out all the Red Sox hatters in the top of the fourth Innings. Her first catch was highly impressive and her other two catches were also excellent efforts. ixim Jolly, Lynda O’Cain and Alrini Caddock batted well for Red Sox, but Monowai was stout in their defence. Both teams played well, exhibiting a good grasp of fundamental softball skills Western Suburbs ?, Red Sox 4 In contrast to their earlier game with Burnside. Suburbs collected hits and they were well strung together. Although Caroline Manson, the Red Sox pitcher, tried gamely to outthink the Suburbs batters with deceptive variations in flight and speed, Suburbs were more than equal to the task. The game was scoreless until the fourth innings when Chrissy Timms and Karen Knight scored for Suburbs. Up until then. Red

Sox, under the coaching of the irrepressible Gavin Britt, played with a maturity belying the fact that the average age of the team is only 16 years. When Suburbs found their batting rhythm in the fifth innings it was literally a top 10 hit. with the score going to 8-0. Red Sox then began to unwind a late challenge. Sue Witheridge clouted a home run and Janine Gould did likewise in the last innings •_ .to also score Sherri Shoenborn. Kim, Jolly, who had plaved soundly ail day, came home when she was advanced bv intelligent batting. Suburbs could fee) pleased with their first win of the season. Caroline Rennie struck out four batters and her consistent and accurate batting was exemplary. The whole team played as an aggressive unit and it was this cohesiveness that proved an excellent basis for a sterling performance. Senior B matches resulted:— United 16, Kalapoi 13; Teachers’ College 20, Levi* 5; Monowai 24, Cosmo* 6.

Points after four rounds are:— P W L F A Pt Albion 4 4 0 34 8 Burnside 4 4 0 46 9 8 United 4 3 1 29 40 6 Monowai 4 1 3 22 27 2 W. Suburbs 4 1 3 16 31 2 Red Sox 4 0 4 10 37 U