Albion untroubled against Monowai

Press, 14 October 1985, Page 30

Albion untroubled against Monowai

It was a day of convincing results in the Dalgety Crown Travel senior women’s softball competition at Hagley Park on Saturday. All but one match was completed in five innings, that being the encounter between Burnside and Clarity Press Papanui, which Burnside took out 10-3. The early match between Robert Brown Albion and Monowai was a decisive onesided affair with Albion taking the match 12-0.

After turning on two excellent performances last week Kereru looked to be in the doldrums. It was completely unable to effectively use its powerful batting line-up against the spin of Papanui’s Leonie Woods. Papanui won 10-0. A brief flutter of runs in the third for ERG Suburbs was not

sufficient to put a halt to the scoring spree of Monowai in its third and fifth turns at bat, with Monowai finishing with an easy 13-3 scoreline.

Robert Brown Albion 12 Monowai 0 Albion was never threatened by Monowai at any stage of the match as it asserted its dominance at the top of the first when a series of errors allowed early runners on base. A hard driven ball by Trinia Whittaker forced an error which allowed Lynda O’Cain, Chris Tew and Cheryl Kemp to cross the plate, with Whittaker later scoring off a wild pitch. The second turn at bat put the match beyond doubt for

Albion as it waltzed through its entire order with a display of excellent batting, aided again by sloppy fielding by Monowai. Albion was kept scoreless in its third and fourth turns at bat as Monowai’s field tightened and short stop Margaret Machrius took two fine outs. Two walks in the fifth allowed Sharon Constable and O’Cain on base with Constable scoring off a Tew hit and O’Cain off a Whittaker drive to left field. With player-coach Kemp on the mound for Albion in the first two innings only, Monowai could only manage one runner on base, that being Kela Smith when she was walked at the bottom of first. Her stay on base was shortlived as a double play between Kemp and Wendy Hughes had Smith cold on a lead off. Karen Pimm took over on the mound at the bottom of the third and like Kemp contained Monowai’s line-up. In the third Monowai’s lead off Wiki Martin, made base on a centrefield hit and cunningly, on a slightly fumbled ball, raced to third but there the dash ended. Likewise in the fifth, lead-off Lyn Tasker made first on a centrefield hit with two sacrifices allowing her on third but again the runner was stranded. For Albion O’Cain scored three runs, Tew, Kemp and Constable two with Whittaker, Nicky Hudson and Wendy Hughes crossing the plate on one occasion. Burnside 10, Clarity Press Papanui 3 After taking the lead in the early stages of the match Papanui handed Burnside the game on a platter through errors. Both sides had scoring opportunities in the first and second innings but at the top of the third the Papanui lead off, Karen Walton safely bunted, stole second and eventually scored off a fielder’s choice after Jo-anne Burrows bad been walked. With two down Leonie Woods thundered a ball through left field for a home run, which also scored Burrows.

Burnside immediately replied to tie the match up in the bottom of the frame as an over-anxious Papanui began to make errors. Chris John scored off an infield error, while Linda Burrows made base on another infield error. Burrows was brought in when Anita Perreau had a stand-up triple to right field and scored off an outfield sacrifice by Donna Ward. The match was really put beyond doubt at the bottom of the fourth when two errors allowed Tracey Ellis and Marilyn Lee on base and Chris John blasted a left field home run.

A pitching change by Papanui failed to contain the Burnside batters who were just wanning to their task. With one down Helen Town-

send drove to centrefield, the ball was errored and Townsend raced to the plate. Katrinia Dreaver then powered a left field triple and not to be outdone, veteran catcher, Marilyn Lee, also hit a triple to score Dreaver. Lee stole home for what she described as “the easiest run of her career.’’ Lee never really had to run hard at all, demonstrating Papanui’s total lack of concentration in the field. Burnside’s Donna Ward completed her side’s scoring at the bottom of the sixth with a magnificent centre field home run. The depth of Burnside’s lineup was clearly demonstrated in the match as it was without three of its regular starting nine in Jane Earnshaw, Linda Manning and Robyn Storer who were attending a World Series squad training in Wellington. Clarity Press Papanui 10, Kereru 0 After an earlier drubbing and spots of shocking fielding Papanui came back in this match with determination and that attitude prevailed throughout the five innings encounter. Kereru could easily have caused an upset if it had batted with its usual flair and authority as its field held under constant pressure. Kereru’s traditional slow start was its downfall as Papanui raced to 4-0 at the bottom of the first with a display of power batting. Dawn Stokes and Robyn Chambers were bought in when Leonie Woods late cut to right field for a two bagger, while Woods and Debbie Chase crossed the plate on a leftcentre field hit by Lee Glasson. With two down in the second Chambers scored off a Woods hit and Woods in turn scored off one of the few Kereru errors.

Glasson made sure Kereru was not going to get into the match with a brilliant left field home run in the third and with two down Karen Walton scored when Burrows hit a

three bagger to left field. Woods completed her third turn at bat in ? the fourth innings with a fine home run to end the match with the immaculate average of .1000. Needing only one run to finish the match at the bottom of the fifth lead off Nicky Fleming made base on a left field hit and scored when Karen Caldre drove to centrefield. For Kereru it was a day of really only seeing the bases when fielding as four of its batters could only manage to make first. Monowai 13, ERG Suburbs 3 Monowai took its time settling into the match, but when it did it left Suburbs standing in its wake. A hit by Lyn Tasker scored Monowai’s Wiki Martin at the bottom of the first and although kept scoreless in the second Monowai exploded into action in the thira by going through its order. A series of excellent power drives and several errors by Suburbs , saw Martin, Anne Wansborough, Tasker, Kathryn Eiffe, Charlotte McLean and designated hitter Patricia Laird all score to put the match beyond Suburbs' reach. Suburbs managed to peg two runs back at the top of the fourth when the experienced Carolyn Renney picked up only the second hit for her side. Chris Steer brought her in on a fine right field triple. Steer scoring off a wild pitch. There was no way Monowai was going to let Suburbs into the game as Wansborough, Tasker, Eiffe and McLean came in for their second runs with Shirley Rainsbury scoring her first off a pass ball Desperate to force the match into regulation innings, Suburbs needed two runs but with its first two batters going, out the chances looked slim. A better attitude brought Kerry Hall into the batter’s box later and she smacked a right field home run. However, the next batter filed out and Monowai walked away with a convincing win.