One good hit spells defeat for Burnside

Press, 1 March 1984, Page 34

One good hit spells defeat for Burnside

By

TIM DUNBAR

One good hit — by the Ramblers first baseman, Robbi<? Skeen — from one stray pitch was the difference between the Auckland side and Noel Leeming Burnside (Canterbury) in a 1-0 ball game when the Pan Am national men’s inter-club softball tournament began at Porritt Park yesterday.

The narrow Ramblers win left them one of three unbeaten sides in the top section, along with Miramar Evening Post (Wellington) and Cowans Cardinals (Hutt Valley) which had rather easier wins yesterday. Ramblers and Bumside met in the final game of the day and it turned out to be a battle between the sides’ respective pitchers, Steve Jackson and Chubb Tangaroa, the only run coming in the top of the seventh innings with two down. In that seventh frame Tangaroa struck out the first batter, but allowed the next one up, Carl Gould, a hit and Gould advanced to second base when Warwick Rogers was caught on a high fly ball to the outfield. Then Skeen, the next batter, connected with a rare loose pitch by Tangaroa. At centre outfield, Wayne Poore was, in hindsight, positioned too shallow and the hit sailed over his head allowing Gould to race home for the winning run and bringing three bases for the delighted Skeen. The flagging spirits of the hometown crowd soared when, with one down in the bottom of the seventh, Burnside’s Ray Marsh drove a good safe hit to left outfield. But the match ended sensationally on a double play with Marsh forced out at second base and then John Daly ruled out at first after the base umpire, Mr Ron Andrew, decided that the Ramblers short-stop had been obstructed by Marsh as he attempted to throw the ball to first base. Both pitchers are chasing a spot in the New Zealand team for the world series in the United States and their personal battle could be called a no-decision. Jack-

son and Tangaroa took 11 strikeouts each, both conceded a mere two safe hits and no walks, but it was the Auckland man who pitched the winning game. Tangaroa, who picked up eight of his strikeouts in the first four innings, did not give up a hit until the seventh innings while Jackson dropped one in the second (Dave Workman) and one in the seventh (Marsh). For Burnside, the former Southland representative, Roger Keith, had a great game in the outfield, pulling in two spectacular catches from foul fly balls as he leant over the left field fence. Earlier, he had picked up two safe hits during Burnside’s rather shaky 2-1 win over Pukekohe (Counties). The Pan Am Trophy holder, Miramar, had comfortable shut-out wins over the bottom-seeded teams, Panthers (Southland) and Dodgers (Otago) and got a total of 16 runners across the home plate. In the 6-0 win over Panthers the second-string Miramar pitcher, Marty Hamilton, grabbed 16 strikeouts while conceding one hit and his team’s star batter was the world series hopeful, Michael Nichols, who batted 1000 with a three-bagger, a one-bagger, and an automatic home run. Against Dodgers, who were eclipsed, 10-0, in six innings Nichols was again in fine batting touch, picking up another two hits and the mighty average of .833 for the day. His captain, Dennis Cheyne, whacked two triples to show that he is still a formidable batter. The New Zealand pitcher, Michael White, struck out 14 of the 18 batters he faced and gave away only one hit.

The third-seeded team, Cardinals, was also untroubled to register a 13-3 win over Dodgers and a 6-1 win over Pukekohe (Counties). Its first real test will come against Miramar this afternoon. For tournament officials the main worry of the day was keeping up a supply of dry balls on the outside grounds. In the opening game between Pukekohe and Bumside the first two pitches were both tipped over the backstop and into the river. Even the positioning of a spectator at “third man” on the bank and the rigging up of a net between two trees could not prevent a few more balls landing in the drink before the end of match. Results.— Pan Am Trophy: Noel Leeming Burnside (Canterbury) 2, Pukekohe (Counties) 1; Cowans Cardinals (Hutt Valley) 13, Dodgers (Otago) 3; Miramar Evening Post (Wellington) 6, Panthers (Southland) 0; Ramblers (Auckland) 4, Mudgway Wreckers (Hawke’s Bay) 0; Miramar 10, Dodgers 0; Cardinals 6, Pukekohe 1; Mudgway 5, Panthers 0; Ramblers 1, Bumside 0. Tom Voyle Cup (Division Bisection I: N.Z.R.A.F. 10, Kaitupeka United (Taumarunui) 0; Birkenhead Lions (North Shore) 8, Rangers (South Canterbury) 1; Rivals (Nelson) B,' Cobden (West Coast) 1; Rangers 6, Kaitupeka 0; Birkenhead 1, Rivals 0; N.Z.R.A.F. 2, Cobden 1. Section H: Celtex (Manawatu) 9, Waitara (Taranaki) 3; Cambridge Welding (Waikato) 4, Allans Coachline Giants (Wairarapa) 2; Saints (Marlborough) 9, G. T. United (Mid Canterbury) 0; Cambridge 3, Saints 0; Giants 10, Waitara 2; Celtex 15, G. T. United. 2.