Christchurch, NZ - Big back-to-back home runs as Canterbury hit out at softball nationals
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Former Black Sox Tyron Bartorillo blasted Canterbury's first home run against Hutt Valley.
Bartorillo, Cook and Harbrow might sound like a law firm's fancy title but the three Canterbury hitters created a smashing softball feat on the opening day of the National Fastpitch Championships.
Tyron Bartorillo, Gareth Cook and Josh Harbrow blasted three back-to-back home runs in the Canterbury Red Sox's epic battle with Hutt Valley in Christchurch on Thursday.
The Canterbury trio, who have all represented the Black Sox, hammered their homers off current New Zealand pitcher Nik Hayes in the third inning.
The next batter up, Gareth Cook, hit Canterbury's second homer.
But Canterbury had to go all the way to an eighth inning tiebreaker to topple Hutt 12-7 after Harbrow, who had three hits from four at-bats, clubbed his second homer with Bartorillo and Antony Stuart on base.
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Canterbury's former Black Sox pitcher Penese Iosefo gave up early home runs to Hutt's Joel Evans and Regan O'Neill before settling into a groove.
Josh Harbrow hammered number three.
Hutt stormed back to make it 6-6 after Cory Timu scampered home on a Canterbury error in the sixth inning and substitute pitcher Eru Drage whacked a home run with Keegan Hilhorst on base.
Harbrow continued his home run hitting ways with his third of the day in Canterbury's 10-3 five winnings win over Wellington. Campbell Makea homered for the capital city team.
Defending champion Auckland's hitters sent out an ominous signal in another slugfest.
Led by Black Sox star Ben Enoka, Auckland overpowered Wellington 11-8. Ben Enoka had three singles in the leadoff slot and brother Campbell chimed in with two.
Outfielder Alfons Oveinikovas produced most of the power with a double and a triple, while catcher Conor Peden went two from two.
Wellington leadoff man Campbell Makea had three hits - a home run, a single and a safe bunt.
Black Sox hurler Nik Hayes played a pivotal part with bat and ball in Hutt Valley's 5-0 victory over North Harbour.
Hayes chalked up 10 strikeouts for two hits and added two safe hits off his own.
Tony Niu doubled for Harbour, who hardly helped their cause with four fielding errors.
An extra inning grand slam home run by former Black Sox outfielder Jerome Haretuku earned Southern Pride a 7-3 win against Counties Waikato.
Haretuku, a draft player from Auckland, and Marlborough shortstop Kyle Marfell did most of the damage for the Pride with two hits between them.Â
Marfell mustered a home run and a triple while Hareteku had a double and his four-run homerun in the eighth inning.
Southern Pride pitching ace Kurt Schollum only threw five innings but still nabbed 12 strikeouts while Counties Waikato pickup Kevin Papuni fanned 11 batters.
Japanese pitcher Takuro Kawano threw a shut-out and struck out 11 opponents in North Harbour's 1-0 win against Southern Pride. Maddix Rice got Southern's only hit.
Black Sox slugger Thomas Enoka clouted a home run in Auckland's 3-2 win against Counties Waikato.
Wellington lead women
Wellington lead the NFC women's competition with three first day wins.
Glen Roff's team started strongly with a 3-1 win over neighbours Hutt Valley.
Danielle Tanoa had two of Wellington's six hits while Hutt took just three hits off the Wellington pitcher with teenager Pallas Potter collecting two singles.
Wellington crushed Canterbury 9-2 in five innings with first baseman Keri Simeon, who played for Canterbury as a draft player in 2012, had two hits, including a triple.Â
They also beat Counties Manukau Waikato 3-1 after two Freya Bullock hits.
A four-run third inning spree helped champions Auckland overcome the Canterbury Red Hawks 7-3.
Canterbury had a dream start with three runs in the first frame after White Sox squad member Emma Frost blasted a two-run triple and Te Awhina O'Hara and Nicole Baxter also had hits off Auckland's New Zealand pitcher Jennifer Feret.
But Auckland hit back with their own big inning, highlighted by Kyla Bromhead's triple. Samantha Parks was Auckland's top batter with three hits while Bromhead had two.
Southern Pride waited until the seventh inning before securing a 4-3 win over Counties Manukau-Waikato. Brooke Pennicott smashed a three-bagger for Southern and scored the decisive run on Sina Hunkin's single. Jordan-Leigh Koni was CMW's best with two hits.
Hutt Valley bounced back from a disappointing display against Wellington to topple Auckland 1-0. Two outfield errors led to Hutt's only run after Yvonne Burgess singled in the bottom of the third inning.
Parks and White Sox utility Beth Stavert both had two hits for Auckland, who outbatted Hutt seven hits to four.Â
Hutt's first four batters, Burgess, Kuraroa Ratu-James, Mel Gettins and Hailey Breakwell had the only hits off Parks' pitching.
Auckland later crushed Southern Pride with Parks getting three hits from three for a .800 average after eight hits from 10 at-bats from her first three games.
AT A GLANCE
First day results
Men: Hutt Valley 5 North Harbour 0, Southern Pride 7 Counties Manukau Waikato 3, Auckland 11 Wellington 8, Canterbury 12 Hutt Valley 7 (8 innings), North Harbour 1 Southern Pride 0, Auckland 3 Counties Manukau Waikato 2, Canterbury 10 Wellington 3.
Women: Â Auckland 7 Canterbury 3, Wellington 3 Hutt Valley 1, Southern Pride 4 Counties Manukau Waikato 3, Wellington 9 Canterbury 2, Hutt Valley 1 Auckland 0, Hutt Valley 5 Counties Manukau Waikato 1, Auckland 18 Southern Pride 0.Â
 - Stuff
