Burnside has easy win over Albion

Press, 23 February 1987, Page 23

Burnside has easy win over Albion

The expected highlight of the Dalgety Crown Travel premier women’s softball competition — the clash between Burnside and Albion — never lived up to expectations yesterday. Burnside won, 6-0, Albion handing it the game with a series of costly errors. It was a good week-end for Burnside which is preparing to leave for Whakatane in early March to participate in the national inter-clubs championships, as it also downed Suburbs by a convincing 14-1 margin in five innings. Coupled with these two wins, two of its talented youngsters, Helen Townsend and Mandy Karatau, were named In the New Zealand under-19 team to compete at the world youth series in the United States this year, with Townsend being made captain. In another premier match Papanui was up against Suburbs and after a heartstopping sixth innings for Papanui it eventually won, 54.

From a statistical standpoint Burnside outplayed Albion in all facets of the game. Bumside picked up eight hits to Albion’s one, left four runners on base to two, and registered no errors against Albion’s five. Albion’s woes began in the bottom of the first innings when Bumside’s Jane Earnshaw made base on an error, was sacrificed to second and an infield error allowed Earnshaw from second to the plate. Trina Whittaker created Albion’s only real scoring opportunity , in the top of the second. However, she was left stranded on third. The break Burnside was seeking came in the fourth when with one down Donna Ward drove to centre field, as did Anita Perreau. The next batter filed out and suddenly Albion’s infield fell apart. Mandy Karatau hit an infield fly and with two Albion players covering the ball, it dropped between them allowing Ward to score, Perreau to make third and Karatau second. Chris Kellam then popped up and again the ball was grounded and this time in the incredible mix-up which followed both Perreau and Townsend scored. Burnside put the icing on the cake at the bottom of the sixth with two well earned runs. Helen Townsend, who batted .666 for the game, drove to centre field for a single and scored when Kellam powered a centre-field triple, with Marilyn Lee bringing in Kellam. Papanui 5, Suburbs 4 In a match that looked to be heading for a one-sided affair Suburbs fought back gamely in its sixth turn at bat to tie the match. Papanui had taken an early lead in the top of the first when the lead-off, Debbie Chase, scored on an infield error and was followed home by Karen Walton when Lee Glasson drove to centre field.

Further scoring opportunities went begging for Papanui in the third but In the fourth Papanui stretched its lead. With one down Karen Calder picked up a hit between centre and right field. The next batter went out and then Chase came up trumps again with a left-field double. Calder then scored on a passed ball and Chase on a wild pitch. Suburbs had had no real scoring opportunities until the sixth and it was a king hit with bases loaded by Carolyn Arther that bought some short-lived excitement into the match. With one down Arther’s hit, which went to the fence, bought in Chris Stuart, Barbara .Gordon and Bridgette Smitheram. A perfectly placed sacrifice bunt by Sue McCullough justly scored Arther to tie the match. Papanui took the winning run in Its final turn at bat when Lisa Naku, as lead off, was walked with an outfield sacrifice by Dea Minehan scoring her. Needing just one run to force extra innings. Suburbs' next three batters filed out to leave the side languishing at the bottom of the table, yet to register a win in postChristmas play. Burnside 14, Suburbs 1 The only Saturday match had Bumside up against Suburbs and it was an extremely one-sided encounter, Burnside requiring only five innings to take the game. Burnside took command of the match at the top of the first as it went through its order to notch up seven runs. A combination of hits and errors allowed Jane Earnshaw, Chris John, Robyn Storer, Donna Ward, Helen Townsend, Mandy Karatau and Raelene Forde all to cross the plate. The top of the second had Townsend in for her second of the game and Anita Perreau her first. The highlight of Burnside’s third turn at bat was a tremendous home ran by Storer through right field, while Earnshaw and Ward also plated. Suburbs managed to keep Burnside scoreless in the fourth but the fifth again produced runs. The lead-off, Earnshaw, made base on a hit which was errored allowing Earnshaw to make third. John then came into bat and thumped an enormous home ran over centre field’s head to finish Bumside’s scoring spree. For Suburbs it was a match of total frustration as its batters were not able to cope with the pitching of John, who conceded no hits, gave up one walk and took four strike-outs. Bridgette Smitheram was Suburbs’ sole scorer in the bottom of the second. She made first on a fielder’s choice, in which Burnside successfully hot boxed Mandy Heriwini between third and home and eventually scored off an infield error. Kerera met Suburbs B in the sole Senior A match of the week-end and had little difficulty maintaining its winning record of late, winning the match, 11-1.

Points table P W L F A Pt Burnside 6 6 0 55 10 12 Papanui 5 4 1 28 34 6 Albion 5 2 3 21 28 4 Suburbs 6 0 6 16 50 0 Burnside 8, Albion 0