Softball series tied

Press, 16 December 1985, Page 26

Softball series tied

Robert Brown Albion tied the senior women’s softball series against Burnside when it won an exciting, tense match, 2-0, at Western Park yesterday. The result means that the pressure will be on both teams next Sunday when they meet in the decider. The winner will represent Canterbury in the New Zealand inter-club championship at Lower Hutt in March. Both sides scored four hits apiece, but the difference was shown by the left-on-base statistics. Albion had only two runners stranded whereas Burnside had five. Albion made no errors in the field and Burnside’s one mistake proved costly. Neither team had much early success in getting runners round the bases, Cheryl Kemp making base for Albion in the first before being taken out on a forced play and Burnside’s Chris John being stranded on second after being walked. Albion was three up, three down at its next five turns at bat and Burnside failed to score although Marilyn Lee made base in the third as did Chris Patterson in the fifth.

Albion got its break at the top of the eventh. With one down, Natalie Hazelwood drove to centre field, Trina Whittaker advanced her on a hit to left field and Chris Tew put down an immaculate push to load the bases.

Nicky Hudson then forced an in-field error which resulted in Hazelwood racing home. A Penny Salton push caused confusion in the Bumside field and Whittaker scored Albion’s second run as the fielder threw to first base.

Burnside was unable to capitalise on a Lynda Manning nit at the bottom of the seventh, and the series is wide open for an enthralling match next Sunday. For Burnside, Patterson had a tremendous match, taking some superb puts and driving the ball strongly to centre field, while the pick of the Albion players was its catcher, Salton.

Saturday’s matches in the Dalgety Crown Travel competition produced predictable results. The luckless Kereru side managed to put the pressure on A.B.L. Suburbs in the early part of their encounter. However, Kereru could not sustain the pressure and eventually lost, 5-3, after having the early lead and every opportunity to take the match In the latter part. Kereru then met Burnside and had no answer to the powrfuT Burnside batting lineup. Kereru could only manage one hit to Burnside’s 15, with Burnside taking the match 10-0. in five innings. Monowai had a day of mixed fortunes in its doubleheader. In a dour encounter it downed Clarity Press Papanui, 8-3, and then lost, 0-4, to Robert Brown Albion in an equally uninspiring match. Burnside 10, Kereru 0 While it took three innings for Burnside to warm to its task, it certainly made up at its fourth and fifth turns at bat by going through its entire order on both occasions. For Kereru it was a match of total frustration, as all it could manage was one runner on base. The lead-off, Jill Hakairaa, at the bottom of the second, smacked a right field triple, but the following three batters failed to advance her. Chris John opened Burnside’s account in its first turn at bat and then it took a Donna Ward home run in the third to extend the lead. Burnside's onslaught began at the top of the fourth with two down. Linda Manning picked up a walk and scored off a Jane Earnshaw triple to left field. John bought Earnshaw in, then another Ward hit scored John. She, in turn, was followed home by Anita Perreau. Manning, Earnshaw and Ward scored their second runs in Burnside’s fifth innings at bat, while Linda Burrows scored her first after hitting safely to left field. Monowai 8, Clarity Press Papanui 3 Although Monowai’s win was the most comfortable it has had in recent weeks the side was stil far from comvihcing with the bat. Of its eight runs only one was earned. Papanui was without its regular pitcher and young Debbie Chase struggled on the mound. She gave up only five hits, but gave away six walks and a hit pitch at crucial times. Papanui’s three runs, on the other hand, were all earned, but they came too late to have any marked effect on the game. Both Margaret Machirus and Sandy Vincent crossed the plate for Monowai at the bottom of the second on pass balls and in the fourth the match was put beyond doubt when the side went right through its order.

Kathryn Eiffe crossed the plate on a wild pitch, after making thid on a series of walks. Wiki Martin who also picked up a walk, score off a Kela Smith sacrifice and she was followed home when both Lyn Tasker and Anne Wansborough hit left-field doubles to score Vincent and Maria Cooper. Wansborough’s hit also scored Tasker while Marichus’s centrefield drive brought in Wansborough. At the top of the sixth innings thre was a minor rally by Papanui. Lee Glasson and Jo Burrows scored off a Robyn