Albion’s lead increases

Press, 7 December 1981, Page 23

Albion’s lead increases

The clash between arch rivals. Albion and General Lee Burnside. was the highlight of the senior women's softball competition on Saturday. The match fulfilled expections. Albion won 5-0 eventually, but the score was misleading because both teams played tight, controlled, and at times brilliant softball. In the only other game on Saturday. Western Suburbs beat Papanui 6-3. No other games were possible because the Canterbury representative team left late bn Saturday afternoon for Wellington where it played Wellington and Hutt Valley yesterday. The points table is: ALBION

Albion 5, General Lee Burnside 0 Albion's win means that it is likely to represent Canterbury at the national inter-club tournament in March, barring a disaster in its remaining games prior to Christmas. Burnside, however, desperately needed to win to keep its chances to qualify for the inter-club competition alive. With both teams aware of the situation the pressure was on from the start. The game began with a brilliant double play by the first base for Burnside, Penney Dunckley. The Albion batter, Linda O'Caih. made base on a walk and with Cheryl Kemp up to bat. the field moved in for a bunt play. Kemp bunted. Dunckley took'a fine stretching catch, whipped round and threw to first, catching O'Cain well off the base.

Suddenly, with two down. Albion looked to have lost any chance of scoring, but it then strung together a series of single base safe hits to centre-field, and changed the complexion of the game completely. Nat Hazelwood was the first to score, followed by Penny Salton and Chris Tew. 'Still with two down and loaded bases. Burnside made a change on the mound, bringing Jane Earnshaw on to replace Robyn Storer. Earnshaw walked Vicky Paskell. which resulted in Sharron Constable scoring, giving Albion four runs. The change on the mound worked perfectly from that point on for Burnside. It was in the fifth innings that Albion scored its final run. Constable made base on an error and was brought home when Paskell thumped a three bagger to left field. Burnside was unlucky not to score in the third innings after Robvn Storer hit a fine three bagger to left-field. Jane Earnshaw followed Storer into the batter's box and drove the ball down the third base line. It hit Storer on the side of the head. Under the rules of softball a runner hit by a batted ball is automatically out. Suddenly Burnside had lost its best scoring opportunity of the game. Although of little consolation to Burnside, its performance was probably its most polished of the season. It put bat to ball more frequently than it has done in the past against Albion. Albion's pitcher. Cheryl Kemp, managed only four strike-outs. It was the tight and top-rated fielding of Albion that contained any chance of a run spree by Bumside. The game finished as it had started with a brilliant double play. Burnside had a runner on first when the batter flied a ball to O'Cain in left-field. O'Cain took the catch and fired the ball over 50m to first base, taking the runner out on a lead-off. Western Suburbs 6, Papanui 3 Western Suburbs started strongly, scoring two runs in its first turn, at bat through NickyHudson and Sue McCullough. A further three were scored for Suburbs when Sharon Sunderland. Caroline Renney and Robyn Tait crossed home plate in the fourth innings. The final run came in the sixth innings when Rennev scored her second run. The'hero of the Papanui side was the pitcher Chris John, who lately has been producing toprate'performances both on the mound and with the bat. Jonn batted in the first run in the third innings when Lee Glasson scored. John also scored in the third and again in the fifth when she hit a magnificent home run through left-field.

P W L F A Pts Albion 12 12 0 92 5 24 GL Burn 11 9 2 73 28 18 Monowai 11 7 4 75 75 14 W Subs 10 3 7 39 50 6 A.G.C. 11 2 9 47 77 4 Papanui 13 1 12 41 123 2