First softball loss

Press, 22 June 1984, Page 32

First softball loss

NZPA special correspondent California

Jim Smith made it clear where his loyalties lay when he hit the Cai-City Cardinals to a 1-0 victory over the New Zealand men’s softball team in Palmdale yesterday. The burly American pitched three seasons for the Hutt Valley Cardinals and he married a New Zealander last March, but he was responsible for the touring side’s downfall. Smith played for only three innings but he shut out the New Zealand batters in that time and his triple off Michael White in the bottom

of the first innings brought in the only run of the game. New Zealand managed only two safe hits against the Lancaster club side and had no runners on base

between the first innings, when Mike Nichols was left on second, and the seventh when Daryl Stratford played down a safe bunt. After two force-outs in the seventh innings, lan Stringer was stranded on

second base, Murray McLean striking out without

swinging at the final pitch. In the second of its games, against Hank’s Service Centre, Palmdale, New Zealand restored its honour with a 1-0 win. The lead-off, Jim Cotter, was batted in by Stringer at the top of the first. For New Zealand, both Kevin Herlihy and White took seven strike-outs and they conceded one hit each. The previous day, New Zealand had a feast of runs and hits when it beat two club sides from Antelope Valley, California.

New Zealand easily beat Camelot Electric Supply, 70, and then squashed Kreutel’s Bug Sluggers, supposedly a better side, 14-0, in the second match.

The highlight of the match against Camelot was the performance of Mark Sorenson, aged 16, who was having his first game for New Zealand. He collected four safe hits in as many turns at bat.