Papanui second after two wins

Press, 13 December 1982, Page 31

Papanui second after two wins

Papanui was on its own in second place after winning both matches in a doubleheader against Richmond and Western Suburbs in senior men’s softball at Papanui domain on Saturday. Neither the overwhelming points leader. Noel Leeming Burnside, nor United, which has now slipped into third place, were in action. Burnside had gone north for the Cowans 10.000 tournament at Fraser Park. Lower Hutt, while United sat the weekend out.

Papanui had little trouble beating Richmond, 8-3. and Steve Vivian announced his return to the team after three weeks in most emphatic fashion with a hit over the fence. However, the team was much more hard pressed against Suburbs and Garry Bishop had to hit Chris Chapman home in the bottom of the seventh innings to break a 2-2 deadlock. Western Suburbs has several hitters of the long ball in its lineup and two of them. Mac Tangaroa and Alex Bennett. each clouted a brace of home runs in their 7-2 win over Albion earlier. Both Tangaroa and Bennett advanced their tally of homers to four for the season. The clash between the bot-tom-of-the-table teams, Albion and Richmond, was a

nailbiting affair with Albion having to score twice in the final innings for its 10-9 win. one of the highest-scoring matches of the season.

Papanui 8. Richmond 3 Papanui has dominated manv matches this season without quite being able to finish off its opponent in the minimum five innings. This was again the case on Saturday though Papanui enjoyed a 7-6 lead after its fourth turn at bat. Features of the games were Steve Vivian's big automatic home run - his fourth of the season on that particular diamond - and the batting of Grant Turner who picked up two more safe hits. When Turner filed out to the outfield in the fourth innings he ended a remarkable run of getting on base 10 times in succession - from seven safe hits and three errored hits. Papanui. which ■ outbatted Richmond by nine hits Io three, scored twice in the top of the first innings through a Turner two-bagger, added three runs in the third through Vivian's homer, and two more runners came home in the fourth for the 7-0 lead. Faced with the possibility of an early victory Papanui squandered its chance with some poor fielding in the bottom of the

fourth. Richmonds Doug Chee made base on an error bv Turner, the short-stop, and was later hit home by Brian Wright. Then both Michael Timu and Wright strolled round the bases after the Papanui catcher. Chris Chapman, pul a throw well over the head of second base and deep into the outfield Papanui did make up for those blues" by scoring again in the top of the sixth innings. GarryBishop put a hit over the head of centre-field for a two bagger and then Dale Eagar batted in his second run of the match. Early in the match Colin Sutherland, struck out the Richmond first baseman. Tala Kele, to record his long-awaited 100 "K's" for the season. Sutherland clocked up five strikeouts in the four innings he pitched and his replacement. Vivian, managed another five himself. Of the nine Papanui batters used, all but two of them contributed to the tally of safe hits. Turner (2) and Eagar (2) did best. Papanui 3. Western Suburbs 2 Papanui's batting largelyfailed to flourish and only a flurry of hits in the final innings allowed the team to head off Suburbs in the safe hit count by six to five. So Papanui. was delighted to get two runs presented on a plate in the bottom of the third innings. Chapman scored first after a three-bag bunt by Sutherland (the result of an error by the Suburbs catcher, Ray Tunbridge and Sutherland) himself plated soon afterwards on a fielder's choice. Suburbs were not downhearted and both its runs came through

good hits. Mike Tyree, a former Papanui player, figured each time. He was hit home bv Mac Tangaroa in the top of the fourth and battl'd in Eric Tomlinson with a hit bounced over the head of third base for the equalising run in the top of the sixth Tomlinson had produced the hit of the match with a solidlvstruck three-bagger tn the right field fence Papanui was now in trouble, but it managed to get rid of the Suburbs batters, three-up three down, in the top of the seventh and score itself in the bottom of the innings. Chapman hit on. advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and a fielder's choice and got the rest of the wav when Garry Bishop slammed’ a hit through the Suburb's pitcher. Tom Reihana. For Suburbs. Andrew Smith had a tidy game' on second base. Both Tyree and Tangaroa baited .666 and Chapman had the same average for Papanui. Sutherland, who was unhappv about being thrice called for illegal pitches by the base urnpirs. Mr Garth Sergison, took two strikeouts and his Suburbs counterpart. Reihana. did one better. One of Reihana’s "K's" was that of a pinch-hitter. Richard Dolan, with his team-mate. Vivian, left to die on third base. Western Suburbs 7. Albion 2 Albion held Western Suburbs to 2-all until the top of the sixth innings in its early double-header at Papanui Domain, but a lapse in concentration gave Suburbs the chance to go through its batting order to score five runs Suburbs had two home runs before the sixth - to Alex

Bennett and Mac Tangania — before Tangaroa collected his second homer at the start of the innings. A swirling flyball hit oy Ray Tunbridge was dropped by the left outfielder Grant Nieuwenhyzen and the rot set in for Albion. Andrew Smith hit on safely, and after that Albion's pitche r . Wally Mohi. was "dragged" from the mound and replaced by Peter Cook But suburbs' batters had locked into the pitching and a Peter Cook pitch was immediately hit safely by AndrewSmith. Cook "kd" the next batter, but Bennett than hit for his second homer and scored Tom Reihana. Albion looked set to take the game in the bottom of the fifth when Mike O'Hara scored, and Kevin Sheehy and Patrick Adamson. the designated hitter, made bases However, with two down at that stage. Sheehy proved over eager on third and was given out for illegal running, ending his team's scoring hopes. The second baseman for both teams were injured during the game when trying tn take out batters making the base. Glen Gordon, for Albion, and Jeff Barrett for Suburbs, had to retire hurt. Mohi took two strike-outs for eight hits and Cook two "K's" for four hits for Albion. In reply. Mac Tangaroa offered up two hits and two walks for six strikeouts when pitching for Suburbs. Albion 19. Richmond 9 These two teams gave their supporters plenty of cause for heart failure and the game was not decided until a cliffhanger seventh innings. Richmond took

a two run lead in the ton of the first, but Albion went through its order for five points in the bottom of the same innings It then proceeded to squander the lead, and after four innings Albion was ahead by 8-6 Richmond shocked Albion in the top of the seventh, when its pitcher. Brian Wright, was given his third walk of the game (having Albion's Peter Cook to a "full house" twicer Grant Wright, the designated hitter, hit on safely to advance the runner, and his drive was errored in the outfield. Albion's short stop. Mike O'Hara, errored a crucial hit byPaul Hughes to load the bases, and then O'Hara elected to hold on to a ball from the bat of Andrew Sinclair which scored Brian Wright. Alister Bolt was cheered by Richmond when he hit a two-bagger, scoring Grant Wright and Hughes to put the team in front. Cook shouldered the burden for Albion as its lead-off batter in the bottom ot the same innings, and hit on safely. O'Hara followed that up by also hitting safely to make up lor his errors. He was taken out at second on a fielder's choice off a hit by Tony Ratting, which brought Cook to third Keith Fern was given out on a foul fly to put Albion two down, but Patrick Adamson, whe batted .800 from five turns, punched the vital hit through the in-field to score Cook and Ratting and finish the game. Cook dished up five strike-outs for eight hits and four walks on the mound for Albion, and Brian Wright pitched two "K's" for 19 hits. Each team had loaded bases twice during the game

SOFTBALL P W I. F A Pt Burnside 17 17 — 146 6 34 Papanui 17 13 4 115 53 26 United 17 11 6 88 36 22 W. Suburbs 18 11 81 131 14 Albion 18 3 15 42 171 6 Richmond 18 2 16 48 123 4