By Tony Smith

5th March 2024

The Papanui Tigers may just look back on their eighth consecutive title as one of the most ultimately satisfying of their golden run as Canterbury men’s softball champions.

Papanui pipped the PCU Devils by one run in each of their two finals series encounters at Dynasty Ballpark last Saturday.

They had to do it without Canterbury Red Sox pitching ace Ben Watts and former Black Sox world champion Tyron Bartorillo, who are both still sidelined with untimely injuries.

Watts is out for the rest of the season and may face surgery after tearing an arm muscle at the NFC. Bartorillo is also in a moon boot ahead of this week’s national interclubs in Auckland after a hamstring problem sustained on Canterbury Red Sox duty.

Fortunately for Papanui, they had 2022 Australian World Cup winner Marshall Kronk to replace Watts.

The Queensland all-rounder and Black Sox outfielder Jackson Watt shared the pitching duties, with leftie Watt throwing with a broken finger on his pitching hand. They will have to shoulder the burden again for the club nationals, backed by Junior Black Sox pitcher Hunter Simpson.

So it was an impressive effort, after advertsities, for the Tigers to shade their young Devils rivals.

Coaches Carl McIlroy and Carl Gould have carried on the good work from the first title back in 2017 when Papanui broke a 41-year drought under the guidance of current Black Sox coach Thomas Makea.

Papanui won Game One 1-0, with the only run coming at the start of the game on Dynasty’s No 2 diamond.

Leadoff Josh Lubiejewski – in career-best red-hot form at the plate – hit to third base, but the throw to first went astray, allowing Lubiejewski to jet around to third base. He then scored on a rare pass ball through PCU’s Black Sox catcher Cam Watts.

Neither side got much change thereafter from the pitchers, Kronk – in his second season with Papanui - and Devils southpaw Liam Potts, for the rest of the game.

Papanui clinched the trophy with a 4-3 win in the second clash, with the winning run notched in the seventh inning after PCU fightback.

Antony Stuart – in vintage fielding touch at third base – drew a walk in the top of the second, advanced on a hit up the middle by Mitch Finnie and scored on catcher and club president Nathan Watt’s sacrifice fly.

The telling blow came in the third when 2023 Black Sox rep Callum Bishop collected an opposite-field double through third base/left field to score Jackson Watt and Kronk, who had stroked a ground rule automatic two-bagger earlier.

But PCU came back immediately when Cam Watts picked a walk and went to second on a wild pitch befor plating on Hapene Kumeroa’s single through shortstop into centrefield.

The in-form Reuben Elkins and Josh Harbrow produced back-to-back centre field singles for PCU in the bottom of the fourth, and then crossed on Cam Watts’ double to right-cente field.

Two scoreless innings then ensued before Papanui snuck it at the death. On came pinch-hitter Callum Muir to make base on an infield single. A wild pitch and a fielder’s choice saw the runner moved to third before Lubiejeswki’s got the vital RBI with a right field drive. NZ Under 23 international, had two of Papanui’s five hits for a .500 average.

Jackson Watt, who tossed three innings, and Kronk combined for the winning, racking up nine strikeotus for three hits.

PCU – under the coaching of former Black Sox outfielder Jason Kumeroa – had cruised into the final with a crushing 8-0 five innings semifinal win over the Rolleston Raptors.

The Devils didn’t even need power hitters Bailey Hamilton and Josh Harbrow to do the damage, the pair sitting out the Friday fixture.

All eight runs came in a bat-through-the-order blitz in the first inning, with the highlight being  leadoff Hapene Kumeroa’s two-run right field triple on his second look at Rolleston pitcher Josh Kelly.

That was one of just four PCU hits, the others going to Dru de Lautour (double), Jayden Potts and shortstop Curtis Dove.

Ryan Britt (4) and Liam Potts (8) combined for 12 strikeouts against 17 batters as they delivered a no-hitter.

In a minor placings playoff, the Kaiapoi Kings finished the season on a high with a 3-2 win over Richmond Keas. Top order batters Jakzon Quinn and Brayden Harris scored for Kaiapo in the third inning and Scott McDonald crossed in the bottom of sixth for the winner after. gaptain Papa Mutu and Zach Graham had tied for RKS in the top of the sixth . Kaiapoi’s Czech Republic pitcher Jonas Hainy took nine Ks for four hits.

Good to see all six Canterbury clubs entering the national open tournament, starting Wednesday, at North Harbour’s Rosedale Park.

Realistically, only Papanui – seeded No 2 after two runners-up finishes in recent years – and PCU have the potential to match the North Island’s big guns, but it should be invaluable experience for Rolleston, RKS, Kaiapoi and Albion all the same.

Finals Series results

Playoff 4th-5th: Kaiapoi Kings 3 Richmond Keas 2.

Semifinal: PCU Devils 8 Rolleston Raptors 0 (5 innings).

Grand Final series

Game 1: Papanui Tigers 1 PCU Devils 0.

Game 2: Papanui 4 PCU 3.

2024 CHAMPIONS: PAPANUI TIGERS.

Article added: Thursday 07 March 2024