SoftBall Tiwn heroes for Auckland team

Press, 4 January 1988, Page 13

SoftBall Tiwn heroes for Auckland team

PA Auckland Auckland had twin heroes as it won the national softball title in front of its home crowd for the first time since 1952 with a powerful 3-0 win over its old rival, Wellington, at Albany’s Rosedale Park. Pitcher, Chubb Tangaroa, and rookie outfielder, Thomas Perenara, were the stars of a whole team effort as Auckland blasted the international pitching star, Peter Meredith, out of the game in the fourth innings and then gave his replacement, Glen Davis, a mauling also. Tangaroa, player of the year last season, was in outstanding form all week as his pitches tantalised the batters into just standing there, bat in hand. On Friday, the Wellington batters swung hard, but managed only one hit, which was almost caught. Perenara, already a Junior Kiwi, recovered from an injured shoulder to resume his style of play which has been outstanding all week. It was Auckland’s fourth win over Wellington in four days because of a lop-sided schedule and Perenara’s two hits were both crucial.

The coach, Mike Forsyth, master-minded the onslaught on the basepaths and Auckland won in the style which has been missing for too many years.

It was Auckland’s first Rothmans win since 1984 and only the second title since 1961. A large crowd saw Wellington bat first, but Tangaroa was soon in the groove with two strikeouts in the first innings. Wellington started with Peter Meredith on the pitching mound and he had Auckland three batters up and three out .in each of the first two innings. However, there was an early alarm for the Auckland team when Fred Wyatt scuttled to first base on a short bobbly hit to Eddie Kohlhase whose throw to Murray McLean was rushed and let Wyatt on safely. But Tangaroa leaned hard on the next two batters, with help from Rodd Fowler on a hot drive by Mark Storer, and

Auckland survived. Perenara, in his first big final in his rookie season, started the third innings in style, with a hit rammed past first base into left field. Fowler followed with a perfect bunt to put two Auckland men on base. Then Meredith hit the Auckland and New Zealand captain, Carl Gould, with a loose pitch to load the bases, with none out. Dave Wall struck out before Dean Rice sliced a hit through on the same line as Perenara’s and Perenara’s sprint home opened the scoring. Fowler was out at home on a forced play and Murray McLean hit to third base Jimmy Hall for another forced play and what could have been a hatful of runs was just enough to keep the crowd happy. Perenara’s luck ran out moments later when he tried hard to make a catch of Mark Elliott’s loopy hit into left field but spilled it to allow Elliott to reach second base. There were no outs but Auckland rallied behind Tangaroa to keep Wellington from moving Elliott to third base. Perenara bounced back with all the aplomb of a seasoned veteran when he followed a fourth innings hit by Ron Goodin with another slog to the left field fence. Goodin went to first base to score under Gavin Aiken's tag.