United impress with a double

Press, 20 October 1986, Page 27

United impress with a double

United and Bumside both achieved two wins in doubleheader engagements in the rain-plagued Dalgety Crown Travel men’s softball competition yesterday.

With Western Park and Burnside High School grounds unuseable, all four matches were played at Nunweek Park.

In scoring a • 6-0 victory against Papanui, the defending champion, United, gave notice that it will be a serious contender for the national league slot from Canterbury. Not even the return of Colin Sutherland from Wellington to pitch, for Papanui could halt a fired-up United. A United outfielder, Neil Stuart, came up with two safe hits, one of them a huge three-base hit which brought lan Hall home.

Pitching the final three innings for United, Mac Tangaroa struck out six of the

nine batters he faced.- He continued this good form in the match against Suburbs. Stuart again shone with the bat, a home run he scored with a left field hit giving United the edge, 4-3.

Burnside’s most difficult assignment was to beat Merlvale, and, after a tough struggle two former Southlanders, Chris Gray and Darryn Roberts, combined to produce the single run of the game for Bumside. Pitching for Bumside was a Canadian, Mitch Neilson, who contained Merivale well. He also showed his worth with the bat in . the second match against Richmond, gaining two hits from two turns at bat in the fifth innings, in which Burnside scored six of its eight-runs. Also impressive Was the catcher, John Daly, who batted in three runs with a solid two-base hit.