Fielders help Nelson to win

Press, 25 February 1989, Page 92

Fielders help Nelson to win

Some appalling fielding by Old Boys (Timaru) helped Nelson Metro to a big 8-1 win when the finals of the inaugural South Island men’s softball league began at Cuthberts Green last evening. Six of Metro’s runs came in the top of the fifth inning when the side marched through its batting order, due in no small part to the mistakes of the field. Previously scoreless Metro started off the inning with the speedy Dennis Dolejs getting a home run on a dropped catch in the outfield. Error then followed on error in the Metro field and there were five before the inning was finally over. Fumbled balls and wayward throws abounded. Among all the errors there were three good hits in the inning, one a triple by the former New Zealand short-stop, Daryl Stratford, most notable for his virtual overhauling of the runner on base ahead of him. Before this disastrous inning Old Boys had actually played quite well, its pitcher, Marty Greig, taking pressure strike-outs and the Timaru team briefly enjoying a 1-0 lead through Bill Seyb in the bottom of the fourth inning. On the mound for Nelson, Dolejs racked up a large number of strikeouts and gave up only one hit. In the early game Suburbs came out on top in the local derby, beating Woolston-Cardinals, 1-0. The only run was scored in the top of the fourth inning when Brett Seaward made base on a slightly lucky infield hit and eventually got home on a passed ball, just beating the catcher’s tag. Woolston-Cardinals got closest to scoring in the bottom of the fourth when the side loaded the bases after three walks. But the Suburbs pitcher, Rod Fewer, struck out Bevan Nalepa to end the chance.

Suburbs ended with nine runners left on base to Cardinals’ three and outbatted that side by four hits to one. Fewer took nine strike-outs, two less than his opposite number, Jimmy Hall.