Softball Merivale puts up a tough game

Press, 5 November 1984, Page 41

Softball Merivale puts up a tough game

Chancery Restaurant Burnside retained its lead in the Dalgety Crown Travel senior A men’s softball competition but it had to work hard for its win against Imperial Merivale, third on the table.

Burnside’s coach, Arnie Hall, had some strong words to say to his team in the dugout immediately after it had completed its 4-2 win,, and the umpire, Mr John Eager, asked him to watch his language. The surprising aspect of the game was that Merivale outhit Burnside, seven to two, and it was only errors and three conceded walks that cost Merivale the game. Bumside’s Jimmy Hall was on the mound for the first four innings, but he was starting to be hit around the park, conceding two two-baggers in the final batters he faced. Hall was replaced by Roger Keith, who pitched a further three innings without a Merivale batter crossing home-plate.

Merivale continues to make a name for itself as

the “comeback kings” as it came from behind to snatch a 2-1 win against Richmond in the second of its doubleheader at Burnside Park. The team has already staged two late batting rallies for victory this season, and on Saturday it trailed Richmond 0-1 until the top of the seventh when it scored two runs, and then shut the opposition out in the bottom of the same innings.

The game was not played in the best of spirits, and at one stage the plate umpire, Mr Steve Guest, issued a “general warning of aggravation,” to Merivale’s coach, Mr Mike Nalepa. Clarity Press Papanui did not have a happy day at Papanui Domain first of all losing to A.G.C. United, 4-0, and then to Amalgamated Batteries Suburbs, 3-0, which meant it slipped a position in the points ladder. Papanui appeared to lose its concentration late in the game against United. Papanui’s left fielder, Luke Jansen, was going for a Paul

McFarlane hit in the bottom of the sixth when he slipped and the ball slid off his glove to allow the runner to make second base. After that an overthrow proved costly allowing two runners home.

The only automatic home run of the day went to Alex Bennett, of Suburbs, against Papanui. Bennett ended the day with a .666 average, and his homer scored Mark McFarlane who batted .1000. Papanui failed to connect with the pitching of Mike Ash, who took 10 strike-outs on the mound for Suburbs.

Burnside 4, Merivale 2 Graeme Anderson opened the scoring for Burnside in the bottom of the first when he hit on safely, and crossed homeplate after a Jimmy Hall drive was errored. Errors compounded Merivale’s problems m the third innings when Roger Keith scored, but the team then rocked Burnside in

the top of the next frame with two runs when Hall began to feel the effects of an old injury. He conceded three hits, including two consecutive twobaggers and a walk in the fourth innings. Keith replaced Hall on the mound in the bottom of the next innings, and pitched the game out safely. Bumside regained its two-points lead in the bottom of the fourth after Ray Marsh was walked and Murray Lanini hit a twobagger.

Pitching for Burnside, Hall took one “K” for four hits and two walks, and Keith’s figures were three strike-outs, three hits and a walk. lan McNabb offered up only two hits, plus three walks for one strike-out for Merivale.

United 4, Papanui 0 United’s lead-off batter, Paul Shannon opened the scoring for the team in the bottom of the first, hitting on safely and being hit home by Neil Stuart. Paul McFarlane extended the scoring in the third, but Papanui never looked threatening, runners only making bases in the third and fourth innings. Jansen’s fall while going for a McFarlane hit in the sixth innings was costly. McFarlane made it to the second and again Stuart was instrumental

in getting him home when he bunted safely. Pinch hitter, Greg Bailey, beat the throw from a hit and then an overthrow allowed Stuart to score ■to give United its four runs. Papanui’s Colin Sutherland took seven strike-outs for seven hits, and Leon Fife, for United, offered up three hits, including a two-bagger to Chris Chapman, for four “Ks.” Merivale 2, Richmond 1 Merivale looked threatening right from the start of the game and had at least one runner on in every innings. It was more surprising, though, to see that Richmond scored in the bottom of the fourth innings when the team had failed to make much impression against Dave Bradbury's pitching in the previous three frames.

Lead-off batter, Grant Wright, posted Richmond’s point after a safe hit that was followed up by a safe bunt from Perry McGee. Wright was advanced by an error from a Mike Timu hit, and came home a fielder's choice.

Kevin Sheehy was the first Merivale batter past first base when he hit a three-bagger in the top of the sixth. But the team left it to the last frame to score with Eric Tomlinson

bringing home both lan McNabb and Shane Vincent. Bradbury,, the former Canterbury softball representative, was in good form on the mound after his lay-off because of injury taking eight strike-outs for four hits. Peter Babbington for Richmond, did not pitch well, taking four “Ks” for seven hits. Suburbs 3, Papanui 0 Papanui’s Ben Westland made an inauspicious pitching start in the bottom of the first innings when he walked Suburb’s batter, Mark McFarlane, and the next batter, Alex Bennett, hit an automatic homer. Colin Sutherland came on for Westland in the bottom of the third innings, and managed to keep things stable for Papanui until the fifth frame when McFarlane hit a two-bagger, stole third, and was again hit home by Bennett. Papanui never featured in the game, except for the sixth innings, when the player-coach, Bruce Chee, hit on safely and advanced to second after the next batter, Tony Bishop, was hit by a pitch. But the next three in the box failed to make any impression against the pitching of Suburbs hurler, Mike Ash.

POINTS TABLE P W L F A Pt Bumside 7 6 1 29 5 12 United 6 5 1 24 12 10 Merivale 7 4 3 16 11 8 Suburbs 6 2 4 14 18 4 Papanui 8 2 6 9 27 4 Richmond 6 1 5 4 21 2