National softball title to Whakatu Lions

Press, 1 April 1985, Page 30

National softball title to Whakatu Lions

For the first time in more than a decade, the struggle to determine New Zealand’s top women’s softball club side required an extra day of play in Nelson yesterday. Whakatu Lions (Hawke’s Bay) won the Pan-Am title, 2-0, from Metro (Auckland), its first title since 1971.

In Saturday’s play, the dramas of the week continued highlighting the closeness of the top four teams. The rematch between Robert Brown Albion and Metro resulted in the North Island side's eventually winning 1-0, in a match which in reality took 18 innings to complete, thus leaving Metro unbeaten. Later in the afternoon it met Island Bay (Wellington). In the bottom of the ninth Gina Weber batted in Carol Moore to give Island Bay a 1-0 win. It forced the play-off as Lion and Metro were left with one loss each.

Yesterday, the crowd was behind the young Lions side, its youngest player, aged 13, being played in the crucial first base position. Inexplicably, Metro’s coach, Don Williams, changed his lineup for ’the match with Edith Tuavera playing on first base. Tuavera is a former New Zealand representative but she has not played any top softball all season and obviously

lacked tournament play. Fiona Timu, aged 15, playing in her first big tournament, was used as a designated batter for Tuavera. Twice Timu batted with runners on base and under incredible pressure could not cope with the in-form pitching or Lovey Waitoa. Lions almost scored at the bottom of the first, and by the third, their pressure finally took its toll.

The lead off, Kathy Meredith, forced an infield error while the powerful Rhonda Hira was walked. Leslie Makea dropped a bunt which was fired to Tuavera and while slightly off-line Tuavera could not hold the ball, allowing both Meredith and Hira to cross the plate. The only real scoring opportunity Metro created came at the top of the seventh. However, Waitoa came up trumps, dominating the last two batters to give her side a popular and well deserved vicFor Albion it was third place, only two runs costing it the title.

Still in with a chance to win, Albion worked hard in its rematch against Metro, taking a great double at the top of the first to prevent Metro from scoring. Until the sixth, neither side dominated then disaster struck

for Albion. At one down, Sau Faleauto, one of New Zealand’s most consistent batters, was dropped on a foul fly ball. Faleauto is not a player to be Ci a second chance, and she ediately drove a standup double to centrefield, with sacrifice to third, and excellent pressure batting by Robyn Rutter scored Faleauto.

Credit must go to Albion, as " it would have been so easy going into its match against Saints (Hutt Valley) later in the day merely to, have given up. Albion came | out determined and had a convincing 30 win, Natalie t Hazelwood being the star, scoring two runs, the other run coming » from Nicky Hudson. Over all the standard of play during the tournament was excellent, the biggest surprise coming in the poor showing by ; Island Bay, except for its ’ performance against Metro, which dropped from first to fifth position. Technical (Ashburton) won the right to play in the PanAm section next season when it beat Rivals (Nelson), 4-1, in the final of the Emma Bright section. It is the smallest association to make the grade. Final positions: Whakatu Lions 1, Metro 2, Albion 2, Saints 4, Island Bay 5, Celtex (Manawatu) 6, Albion (Hamilton) 7, Rajahs (Dunedin) 8.