Albion takes inter-club title

Press, 15 March 1982, Page 26

Albion takes inter-club title

Special correspondent 1 The strong Albion side re- s captured the national women’s inter-club softball i title at Westhili Park. Hamil- I ton. on Saturday to cap off a ( brilliant season for Canter- 1 bury. ( Canterbury now holds both < the national provincial title 1 and the inter-club champion- s ship, and has for the first 1 time five players in the New I Zealand team.to compete in t the world series at Taiwan in 1 July. ' . ' ' ( Three of these players are 1 from Albion and include the second base, Natalie Hazel- ; 1 wood, the pitcher, Cheryl t Kemp, and the catcher, 1 Penny Saitoh, while the other i two are Jane Earnshaw and 1 Robyn Storer from General j

Lee Burnside. The full New Zealand squad is:— Rita Fatialofa. Vicki Murray, Desiea Wrathall, Debbie Mygind, Edith Tuavera (Auckland); Salton. Kemp, Earnshaw, Storer, Hazelwood (Canterbury); Naomi Shaw, captain, Maahi Baker (Hutt Valley); Karen Fraser (Nelson); Debbie Leonidas, Gina Weber, Lesely Monk. Carol Moore (all Wellington );Nontravelling reserves: Helen Maxwell (Southland), Rosie: Ah Wong (Counties), Robyn Rutter (Auckland). Both Albion and Auckland 'Metro went into the.-.final’ unbeaten, setting the scene for the large crowd, to witness tight, competitive softball Neither side disap-:, pointed, as the game , pro--

duced superb fielding, tight pitching, and controlled batting. The match opened dramatically for Albion when the lead-off batter. Linda O’Cam, hit a magnificent left-field ■ drive and raced round the bases only to be sent back to / third as the umpire ruled a blocked ball. The next batter flied out. then Hazelwood dropped a bunt and O’Cain headed for home plate only to be tagged out. The next batter went out and suddenly ■ a perfect scoring opportunity < was lost. -I. Very few scoring chances opened up for either side as -■the game settled down into a three-up three-down situa- ■ z tion. j . ' Metro came close to scor- ■ ing in the fifth when the

t catcher Dale Garrick, got on - third ;base but the Albion field never faltered under pressure and coolly took the ‘ required out to quash Metro’s , hope of a run. I Then at the bottom of the ! seventh innings the Albion > lead-off. Hazelwood, late-cut i the ball to left field and once • again the ball was deemed 1 blocked and Hazelwood was i back on third. The next ’ batter was struck-out by the l New Zealand representative, ’ Debbie Mygind. and it looked ' as if there could have been a repeat performance of the > first innings. Metro’s field ; moved in for a defensive i bunt play as Albion’s captain. - Christine Tew, came in to bat. With the pressure on and i the Albion bench giving all

the support a batter could wish for, Tew push-bunted over the head of second base to score Hazelwood and give the side the Pan Am title much to the ecstasy of everyone on the Albion sideline. The Waikato team. Melville, won the Emma Bright Trophy for B section honours and their association will win promotion next season to the A section as a replacement for Nelson, whose representative. Mac’s Royals lost all its games. Melville beat Wairau (Horowhenua). 5-2. in the final.