ANGELS HEAVEN-SENT BOOST TO CANTERBURY SOFTBALL

By Tony Smith

January 27

Most newly-promoted premier softball teams are happy to simply be competitive in their first season.  But the PCU Angels – the new cab on the Canterbury women’s championship rank – are thriving not merely surviving.

It was a sad day when PCU slipped out of the top flight because, a generation ago, they were New Zealand’s leading women’s softball club.

Winners of six national women’s interclub crowns – including four on the bounce between 2000 and 2003 – Christchurch United fielded a clutch of NZ White Sox internationals, notably the great Rhonda Hira, outfielders Jaye Bailey and Melanie Hulme and the talented twins Char and Nic Pouaka, plus true club stalwarts such as Rebecca Haeta.

Once that golden generation retired or moved on, the club struggled to field a premier team and was forced to rebuild in the lower grades.

But they’re back with a vengeance in 2017-18.

Paul deLatour - technically, one of the best infielders in Canterbury softball for many a year – has his Angels flying at the top of the table.

It’s due credit to his coaching and the club’s commitment.  In seeking a return to premier league status and bolstering their team with American import pitcher-catcher duo, Paige Crawford and Allyne Clark, they’ve given the women’s game a welcome shot in the arm.

PCU’s re-emergence has boosted the competition to five teams and the addition of the two Americans (plus Papanui catcher Elizabeth Snow) has added an exotic influence. The trio bring the benefits of graduating from the American college system.

The Angels continued their dominance with a vital win over 2016-17 champions Halswell in Saturday’s action at Mizuno Ballpark.

PCU ANGELS 4 HALSWELL HORNETS 1

Carley Ratu is, in many ways the last link with the PCU golden era, so it’s fitting she should star in the current team.

The daughter of former New Zealand shortstop Paul McFarlane, Carley was a catcher in her playing heyday with Christchurch United and Miramar, where she met and married Black Sox catcher Stephen Ratu.

On settling in Christchurch, she rejoined the PCU ranks and has reinvented herself as a middle infielder in the Angels lineup where her experience and batting prowess make her a decided asset.

It was the Ratu-Crawford show on Saturday with Crawford hitting a triple to right-centrefield in the top of the first inning and scoring on a Ratu hit.

The roles were reversed in the third with Crawford picking a walk and Ratu driving her in with a three-bagger before scoring later on a Halswell error.

Ratu completed the scoring later on a hit by PCU third base Anthea Stringer, Canterbury Softball’s development manager, after Halswell brought on Lucy McIntyre to relieve starting pitcher Jenni Mumm.

Ratu led the way with three hits from four at-bats, DP Latai Kaufusi went two from four and Allyne Clark crashed a double.

Stalwart Halswell infielder Nicole Baxter-Warren doubled in the fourth inning and scored on McIntyre’s hit.

KAIAPOI 3 HALSWELL 2

It’s received softball wisdom that a team that out-bats its rival will always a ball game, isn’t it?

Not always. Just ask Halswell coach Carl Tuinenga.  A glance at Saturday’s score-sheet would have made for painful reading for the new Junior White Sox coach as he contemplated a rare double-header defeat.

Halswell out-hit Kaiapoi nine to two, yet still lost by one run.

Why?  Too many errors (four) at crucial times and the frustration of leaving nine runners on base.

Credit to Kaiapoi – they made the most of limited opportunities and also made a vital play at the plate in the third inning. Shortstop Teagan Maxted fired the tag throw to catcher Layla Bailey-McDowell to preserve the North Canterbury club’s 2-1 lead.

It had all looked promising for Halswell when leadoff Alyssa Lory picked up an infield single in the top of the first inning and scored on Lisa McIntyre’s hit to rightfield.

But the experienced Oriana Connell whacked a triple for Kaiapoi in the bottom of the second and came home on an infield error, which allowed Maxted to make base before she, too, plated on another Halswell fielding foible.

Kaiapoi first base Jasmin Smith singled back to the pitcher in the fifth and made it 3-1 on an outfield error.

Halswell pulled back a consolation run in the seventh when McIntyre produced her second RBI to score Liyah Faga-Leti.

Faga-Leti (triple) and Victoria Ward (double) had extra base hits for Halswell while Lorry, McIntyre and Faga-Leti all had two hits.

Connell and Smith were Kaiapoi’s only safe hitters with Halswell pitcher McIntyre and catcher Ward combining for six strikeouts.

PAPANUI TIGERS 7 SYDENHAM KERERU 4

Papanui coach Richie Allison wasn’t taking any chances with Cassie Siataga in the batter’s box – not after her first inning home run anyway.

The ex-White Sox infielder slammed her second homer in successive weeks with a solo shot in the first inning.

She kept her 1.000 average alive with a safe bunt in the middle innings, so on two subsequent occasions when she came up with runners in scoring position, Papanui wisely gave her an intentional walk free-pass.

Papanui out-batted SK 8-6 and proved steady runs accumulators.

Rightfielder Ashleigh Thornley went two from two with a couple of hits down the first base-line to right field. Her replacement, Kirsten Deleijer-Rhodes also picked up a single.

Steph Kepa, the heart and soul of the Tigers’ hitting lineup, delivered her trademark triple, Olivia King had a couple of hits while Leah Stockford, Elizabeth Rice and Hana Allen supplied singles.

SK never give up hope and clawed back two runs in the fifth after back-to-back hits by Elizabeth Brash and Carly Werahiko (with a double) and Krystal Werahiko batted in Danielle Bolton – promoted to the leadoff spot – in the seventh.

MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP

PCU DEVILS 5 HALSWELL HORNETS 3

Only one game again this week with the ELE Papanui Tigers away at the Vic Guth Tournament in Auckland are playing in the Poneke Kilbirnie Classic in Wellington last weekend.

With competition leaders Papanui on duty on northern diamonds it was important for second-placed PCU to pick up a win and keep the pressure on the champions.

They left it to the very last with a comeback that must have had veteran coach Ted Forrester’s heart rate racing.

Halswell led 3-0 – all runs coming in the bottom of the fourth when young pitcher Jontae MacDonald doubled to right-centrefield, player-coach Aaron Collier was intentionally walked and both scored on Alex Purcell’s hit over second base. Taylor Lester scampered home on a subsequent error.

Just as the Hornets were eyeing an upset victory, the Devils’ dormant bats found a new lease of life.

Young MacDonald – in his first season in Canterbury after a move from Marlborough – had kept the Devils scoreless and restricted them to a solitary safe hit through six innings, aided by his experienced catcher Marty Warren. That was no mean feat with ex-Black Sox Josh Thomson and Stephen Ratu and former junior internationals Bailey Hamilton and Nopera Stockford in the PCU lineup.

But the seventh and final inning proved a bridge too far for the shutout-seeking Hornets.

PCU batted through the order with Cam Watts, Ratu, Louis Peters, Grayson Keepa and Zach Graham scoring for a 5-3 victory, capitalising on three consecutive walks, a couple of errors and safe hits by Hamilton and Graham.

MID-WEEK

Don’t forget there are two Canterbury women’s championship games on at Mizuno Ballpark on Wednesday night.

The Halswell Hornets meet Sydenham Kereru and the PCU Angels clash with the Kaiapoi Angels.

Both games start at 6.30pm.