The Western Magpies celebrate their national interclub softball championships final victory over Hutt Valley Dodgers in Lower Hutt on Sunday. Jenny Williams, right, joins the throng with, from left, Jennifer Feret, Virginie Anneveld and Kaleo Eldredge.

"The last two years previous to this we lost both finals, so it's pretty satisfying to finally get this under our belts."

Raroa said Feret was "inspirational" all week at Fraser Park, throwing two no-hitters against the Dodgers on her way to dual individual honours as the top pitcher and most valuable player of the tournament.

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The 31-year-old American college graduate, who will pitch for New Zealand at a second world championships this winter, was also a star turn with the bat.

Feret hammered a bases loaded grand slam home run against Te Aroha and drove in the winning run in a 2-1 tiebreaker victory over the Dodgers on Saturday to underline her value to Magpies.

"The whole team got in behind her this year," Raroa said.

"She pitched an exceptional tournament."

Feret was too good for the Dodgers hitters in the final, exhibiting masterly control of her dropball and change-up, which had many Hutt Valley hitters swinging at fresh air.

But the Magpies also got great value from their other overseas-born players -  former USA international Kaleo Eldredge and Dutch national team third baseman Virginie Anneveld.

Eldredge, 32, is a Hawaiian who starred at the University of California-Berkeley and played alongside Feret in Europe.

"To have her with us for three years has been good for our team," Raroa said.

"Our imports all seem to come in and want to stay."

Anneveld, 26, has had American Pro League experience with the Pennsylvania Rebellion.

The Dutchwoman batted Eldredge home for Magpies' first run after they both cracked singles in the top of the third inning. 

Anneveld got her second hit in the top of the sixth and made it 2-0 on catcher Aaria Tawha's single, while Eldredge got another hit in the seventh frame after Gillian Wills had singled to right-centrefield.

Magpies' Canterbury pick-up player Robyn Hall made a brilliant, diving catch in centrefield in the bottom of the sixth to deny Dodgers' White Sox shortstop Hailey Breakwell and keep Feret's no-hitter intact.

But Raroa also stressed Magpies had been well-served by "our homegrown talent", including Wills and Beth Stavert, both former White Sox representatives, and Keeley Wells, who has played for the Junior White Sox.

He said winning the national title would give the club based at Kelston's Brains Park a great boost. "We are a young club, we're only 11 years old and our premier women's team is only five years old."

But the Magpies fledglings proved quick learners. "We won our first Auckland title three years ago, and we won it again this year," Raroa said.

"But the last three years (at national interclubs) had been the little glitch in the matrix. We really wanted it this year."

The Dodgers breezed through to the final, crushing Hutt Valley rivals Saints, 9-0, in the morning play-off match.

Feret's White Sox pitching colleague Rita Hokianga hurled a five innings shut out for Dodgers and Breakwell hammered two doubles. Breakwell batted in three team-mates in the second inning when Dodgers went on a seven-run scoring spree. Veteran infielder Angela Stubbs also slammed a double.

Saints, who finished third overall, withstood a late comeback by the Waitakere Bears to win 3-2 and earn the right to meet Dodgers.

Saints had a 3-0 lead going into the seventh inning, but the Bears struck back with two runs after a triple to Ancelle van Molendorff and a blooper single by Kyla Bromhead.

The Western Magpies' win was the fourth by an Auckland club in the last years after earlier victories by Auckland Marist, Waitakere Bears and Ramblers.

The 2016 results should be a wake-up call for Wellington softball with the capital city's three teams, Miramar, Poneke Kilbirnie and Johnsonville-Newlands, all among the also-rans.

Wellington has not produced a national interclub winner since 1984 when White Sox legend Gina Weber pitched Island Bay to the title and the Wellington representative team has won only two national provincial titles since 2000.

Results

Playoffs:  Saints 3 Bears 2. Dodgers 9 Saints 0 (5 innings) 

Final: Western Magpies 2 Dodgers 0

 

 

 - Stuff