Sport Hutt sets pace in softball

Press, 25 January 1988, Page 4

Sport Hutt sets pace in softball

PA Wellington Hutt City United set the pace after the completion of section play on the opening day of the Wainuiomata softball classic yesterday. The top eight teams moved into a double life elimination competition and Hutt City got away to a flying start causing a minor upset in defeating hot favourites and defending champions Wrigleys PK, 2-1. PK took the early lead with Craig Estrada coming home from third base on a Doug Honey hit at the top of the third innings. Hutt City replied almost immediately with a run to the catcher, Ron Gleghorn, at the bottom of the third and John Nightingale scored in the following innings to seal victory. Ramblers of Auckland, another team highly regarded for title honours, was defeated 3-2 by the unfancied Avalon Dodgers. This set up the intriguing clash between the two most highly rated sides, PK and Ramblers, both with only one life remaining.

The match featured two of softball’s big names on the pitching mounds, Peter Meredith for PK and the ever-

green Kevin Herlihy for Ramblers.

PK made no race of the all-important sudden death contest with runs to Estrada and Joe Williams at the top of the first innings. PK was able to consistently put bat to ball and eventually hit Herlihy out of the game with three further runs to Estrada, Glen Tapara and Joe Williams at the top of the fifth innings, to make it 5-0. Ramblers replied with runs to Matt Dijack and Steve Kara at the bottom of the fifth but PK was never seriously threatened. Hutt City maintained its two lives with a late afternoon win- over. Dodgers and must be favoured to make today’s final undefeated. Results:

Double life elimination: Hutt City United 2, Wrigley’s PK 1; Island Bay 8, Totara Park 0; Ramblers 2, Avalon Dodgers 3; HV Marist 5, Wainui 4; Hutt City 3, Dodgers 1; Island Bay 2, HV Marist 4.

Losers plate:- Demons 2, Papanui 0; Cardinals 4, Eden Roskill 3; Miramar 1, Tawa 2; Christchurch United 7, Johnsonville 0; PK 5, Ramblers 2; Totara Park 0, Wainui 2.