Written by Tony Smith

Black Sox slugger Jackson Watt recovered his pitching poise as the champion ELE Papanui Tigers avenged their opening day defeat with a comeback win over the PCU Devils.

The tussle between two of Canterbury’s older clubs is always the highlight of the men’s premiership programme and their November 6 encounter did not disappoint.

Papanui eventually won, 5-3, after the usual ebb and flow, to inflict the Devils’ first defeat of the 2021-22 season.

Richmond Keas Blinders collected their fifth win of the season to strengthen their hold on third place in their return to “the bigs’’.

The Kaiapoi Kings suffered two scoreless defeats at the weekend, but possibly created a Canterbury men’s club softball record for the oldest aggregate age by a father-son combination.

Finding themselves short for their Friday night game against the Halswell Hornets, Kaiapoi called on former coach and ex-Canterbury pitcher Colin Sutherland to play alongside second baseman son Scott, who later noted that their combined ages were 96 – Colin being 63 and Scott 33.

Meanwhile, Sydenham Kereru were the most impressive performers in the women’s competition, racking up 28 runs in two big wins with Cheyann Whyte showing her consistency in the batter’s box.

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 5th GAMES

Women

Sydenham Kereru 16 Kaiapoi Queens 3 (6 innings)

Sydenham Kereru provided the final inning fireworks on Bonfire Night at Mizuno Ballpark with a 10-run spree against Kaiapoi.

Kaiapoi led 3-1 after Lindsay Thomas batted in Teagan Maxted and Bohemian Quinn in the bottom of the first inning and then scored on Oriana Connell’s triple.

But it was all one-way traffic thereafter as SK stacked up 14 safe hits.

White Sox infielder Mikayla Werahiko led the way, as she often does, with three from three for a 1.000 average, including a triple. Cassie Siataga smashed a two-run triple on her way to a .600 average (3 from 5) and the consistent Cheyann Whyte went three from four in the eight slot.

Maxted batted 1.000 (2 from 2) and Connell .666 (2 from 3) for the Queens.

Jahneiya Taiepa was SK’s winning pitcher, guided by experienced catcher Carly Werahiko.

Men

Halswell Hornets 2 Kaiapoi Kings 0

Young pitcher Harrison Bruhns-Croy hurled the Hornets to victory, allowing just three hits in a two-run shutout.

There was no score until the top of the sixth inning when Halswell’s Aaron Collier sparked a two-down rally with a left-field double and scored on Sam Church’s single.

Isaac Nation doubled the lead in the seventh, making base with a single and advancing on Mason Woodford’s sacrifice before crossing home plate on a two-bagger by brother Kieran Nation.

Collier was Halswell’s top batter with two of their five safe hits.

Bruhns-Croy collected six strikeouts, one fewer than Kaiapoi’s Will MacDonald, who allowed five hits.

Scott Sutherland was Kaiapoi’s only batter to collect a safe hit outside the diamond with a centrefield shot in the seventh. Jack Bates and Jakzon Quinn had infield singles.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 6th GAMES

Men

Papanui Tigers 5 PCU Devils 3

With Black Sox hopeful Ben Watts away, Papanui’s coaches handed the ball to Jackson Watt for their duel with the Devils and the Tigers’ left-hander got a rude awakening.

He conceded a single to his Black Sox buddy Josh Harbrow and then gave up an automatic home run to his former Junior Black Sox cobber Bailey Hamilton, who continued his fine early-season batting form.

The Tigers tied it up in the fourth when Mitch Finnie singled and scored home on Callum Bishop’s triple, with Bishop scampering in on a fielder’s choice.

The Devils inched ahead 3-2 in the fifth after Dru deLatour led off with a base-hit bunt. Watt – pitching to older brother Nathan – dug deep for two clutch strikeouts, including a treasured Kc of Harbrow. But he walked Hamilton to put another runner on base then conceded a single to his opposite number, Devils pitcher Quinn Wickens.

Coach Carl McIlroy got the Tigers rally he needed in the bottom of the sixth, and again it was his pacy players who provided it. Finnie stroked his second hit of the game and Bishop beat out a bunt, with Finnie flying around to score from second base.

Bishop followed later on a wild pitch and Josh Dickson singled to bring in Josh Lubiejewski.

Bishop batted 1.000 with his two hits interspersed with a walk. Finnie went two from three and Dickson two from four.

PCU’s seven hits were evenly spread.

Both pitchers allowed seven hits, with Wickens shading Watt 7-4 in the strikeout count.

Papanui Tigers 7 Albion Anteaters 0 (5 innings)

Experienced third baseman Callum Muir headlined Papanui’s mercy rule win with a three-run home run in a five-run scoring spree in the fifth inning.

Papanui profited from consecutive safe hits to Jackson Watt (double), Tyron Bartorillo and Mitch Finnie before Muir sent the ball soaring over the centrefield fence.

Finnie (who finessed four hits for the day) doubled in the sixth inning and he and catcher Josh Lubiejewski scored on Josh Glading’s second hit of the game.

Albion had just two hits off Jack Watt’s pitching, a lead-off bunt by Lopeti Sumner in the first frame and later single to Ryan Rhodes.

Watt completed his doubleheader duty on the mound with seven strikeouts.

Glading batted 1.000 for the Tigers and Finnie .666.

Halswell Hornets 2 Kaiapoi Kings 0

Young pitcher Harrison Bruhns-Croy hurled the Hornets to a win, allowing just three hits in a two-run shutout.

There was no score until the top of the sixth inning when Halswell’s Aaron Collier sparked a two-down rally with a left-field double and scored on Sam Church’s single.

Isaac Nation doubled the lead in the seventh, making base with a single and advancing on Mason Woodford’s sacrifice before crossing home plate on a two-bagger by brother Kieran Nation.

Collier was Halswell’s top batter with two of their five safe hits.

Bruhns-Croy collected six strikeouts, one fewer than Kaiapoi’s Will MacDonald, who allowed five hits.

RKS Blinders 3  Halswell Hornets 1

Player-coach Penese Iosefo-Harris suited up at shortstop and entrusted the pitching to two youngsters as the Blinders banked yet another win.

Starter Jacob Neale fanned seven Hornets batters for eight hits and one walk, while closer Bradyn Taylor took two Ks in one inning of relief.

Finn Mounty opened the scoring for RKS in the third after a hit by Brandie Reihana and two fielder’s choices.

The Blinders went up 2-0 in the fourth with Mounty collecting a RBI to score Connor Bensley.

Halswell pulled back a run in the top of the fifth after a triple by Connor Stanley and a single from Sam Church.

Pinch hitter Craig Hall made the game safe for RKS in the bottom of the sixth, making base on a bunt and eventually scoring on Reihana’s sacrifice fly to centrefield.

Mounty and Whetu Beattie led the batting for RKS, both going two from three at the plate.

Halswell – like RKS – had nine hits, with Church producing the game’s best average (.750) with three from four and Stanley two from three.

PCU Devils 7 Kaiapoi Kings 0 (6 innings)

The Devils rebounded from their Tigers defeat to blank Kaiapoi with some power hitting through the order.

Centrefielder Cam Watts led the way with an automatic homer over centrefield in the second inning and Josh Harbrow powered a pitch over the leftfield fence in the fifth.

Curtis Dove, Scott Tansey, Bailey Hamilton and Grayson Keepa all hammered three-baggers, with Keepa’s producing two runs.

Hamilton pitched a shutout for PCU, taking six strikeouts and giving up just two hits, to Kaiapoi catcher Liam Hughes and outfielder Jacob Clifton.

WOMEN

Sydenham Kereru 12 PCU Angels 5 (5 innings)

PCU provided a perfect platform with four runs in the top of the first inning, marked by Caitlin Davidson’s two-run double.

But SK struck back with five runs of their own in the bottom of the first with two scampering in on Cheyann Whyte’s single up the middle.

The Angels tied it up momentarily in the top of the second when Alexis Hay crossed on Manaia Makiri’s infield single.

But SK then put their stamp on the game with a four-run rally, with pitcher Krystal Werahiko driving in two runs.

White (SK’s top batter with two from three) collected another RBI single in the fourth and Cassandra McLeod scored on Cassie Siataga’s Texas Leaguer double to rightfield.

Krystal Werahiko took just one strikeout but didn’t concede a walk and held the Angels to five scattered hits

Kaiapoi Queens 4 Papanui Tigers 0

American college grad Lyndsay Thomas pitched a shutout and smacked a home run to lead Kaiapoi to a clearcut win at Papanui Domain.

Shortstop Teagan Maxted led off the first inning with a single and she and Thomas scored on catcher Layla Bailey-McDowell’s triple to leftfield.

Then Oriana Connell – in good batting touch in the early-season – doubled to drive in the Queens’ third run.

Thomas’ solo shot homer in the third completed the scoring.

Kaiapoi had five safe hits, to Maxted, Thomas, Bailey-McDowell, Connell and Rome Collins-Cross.

Thomas bounced back from Friday’s heavy defeat to SK to deliver seven strikeouts for two walks and three hits.

Papanui’s White Sox training squad pitcher Brittany Terrey tallied 11 strikeouts for five hits, three walks and four earned runs.

Hana Allan, Aimee Metuatini and young shortstop Shyla deLatour got Papanui’s hits.

Halswell Hornets 2 Papanui Tigers 0

A tight ball game ensued in the late timeslot encounter on the Lesley Byrne Memorial Diamond until Halswell settled proceedings in the top of the fifth inning.

Top order batter Heaven Samson-Loffley started the ball rolling – literally – with a safe bunt. She then stole second base and scored after hits by Lucy McIntyre and Alyssa Lory.

Lory led the Hornets’ hit parade with two from three.

White Sox pitcher Amy Begg bagged 10Ks for two walks and three hits.

Simone Salter, Mya Pouaka and Elizabeth Rice each had hits for Papanui.

Britt Terrey snared seven strikeouts – to give her 18 for the day – but she also conceded seven hits and five free passes via walks.

Article added: Monday 15 November 2021