Christchurch, NZ - Canterbury get revenge in Southern Cross softball final
The Canterbury Red Sox avenged an earlier defeat to the Junior Black Sox by edging the New Zealand under-19 softball team  1-0 in the Southern Cross Challenge softball tournament final.
Canterbury had their Australian import Ryan Merriman to thank for driving in the winning run in the men's division final in Christchurch on Sunday.
                                                                                Dean Kozanic
Canterbury Red Sox pitcher Ethan Johnston held his nerve to nab the final strikeout for a 1-0 win in the Southern Cross Challenge softball final against the Junior Black Sox
The Canterbury Red Sox avenged an earlier defeat to the Junior Black Sox by edging the New Zealand under-19 softball team  1-0 in the Southern Cross Challenge softball tournament final.
Canterbury had their Australian import Ryan Merriman to thank for driving in the winning run in the men's division final in Christchurch on Sunday.
Merriman, the top batter at the prestigious International Softball Congress tournament in the United States last season, tripled to leftfield to score Curtis Dove in the bottom of the third inning at Mainland Foundation Ballpark
The New Zealand A softball team celebrate their win over the Queensland Heat in the Southern Cross Challenge women's softball final.
Merriman went two from three with the bat, as did Canterbury's leadoff man, former Black Sox infielder Tyron Bartorillo.
READ MORE:
* Red Sox beaten by Junior Black Sox
Only one other Canterbury batter, outfielder Callum Muir, managed a safe hit off Junior Black Sox pitcher Daniel Chapman, who took six strikeouts.
Pania Monk hurls down a pitch for New Zealand A in their win against Queensland.
The Junior Black Sox, who beat Canterbury in the playoffs on Sunday after two earlier losses, also had five hits with designated players Jacob Zurcher and Harry Valk supplying three singles, collectively.
Their best scoring chances came in the latter innings. Three runners were left on base in the fifth inning and  Valk and Reilly Makea were left stranded in the sixth.
The Juniors had runners on second and third, but Canterbury relief pitcher Ethan Johnston dug deep to strike out Valk to end the game.
Queensland were unbeaten going into the gold medal game, but New Zealand A got a perfect stat after Ashley Johnston scored in the first inning after consecutive hits by Lisei Leaupepe, Keri Simeon and Lucy McIntyre.
The visitors took a 2-1 lead when lower order batters Stephanie Curtis and Charisma Keil plated after Dorinda Stone's hit in the top of the third.
But New Zealand A - coached by Canterbury's Carl Tuinenga and ex-White Sox catcher Alison Boys - won the game with a four-run scoring spree in the sixth after Simeon, Monk, Aaria Tawha, Pallas Potter and Nita Hickey mustered hits.
Potter and Simeon had two hits from three with Simeon, a White Sox reserve for the July world championships, taking out he tournament's top batter award with a .588 average. Morrison was the top pitcher and Queensland infielder Georgia Blair the most valuable player (MVP).
Bartorillo topped the men's batting averages and also won the MVP award, with Canterbury's Ben Watts as top pitcher.
AT A GLANCEÂ
Finals results from the Southern Cross Challenge softball tournament in Christchurch.
Men: Canterbury Red Sox 1 NZ Junior Black Sox 0.
Final placings: Canterbury 1, Junior Black Sox 2, Canterbury under-23 3, Southern Pride Development 4.
Women: Â New Zealand A 5 Queensland Heat 2.
Final placings: New Zealand A 1, Queensland Heat 2, Southern Pride 3, Canterbury Red Hawks 4, Canterbury Development 5.
Awards:Â
Men: Top batter: Tyron Bartorillo (Canterbury Red Sox). Top pitcher: Ben Watts (Red Sox). MVP: Bartorillo.
All Star Team: Kevin Papuni (Canterbury U23), Ben Watts (Red Sox) pitchers; Jarome McKenzie (JBS), Kieran Nation (U23), Curtis Dove (Red Sox), Tyron Bartorillo (Red Sox), Dante Matakatea (JBS), Nopera Stockford (Red Sox), Antony Stuart (Red Sox), Jackson Watt (JBS), Cole James (Southern Pride), Jacob Zurcher (JBS).
Women: Top batter: Keri Moana Simeon (NZA). Top pitcher: Tyla Morrison (NZA), MVP: Georgia Blair (QLD).
Allstar team: Rebecca Chapman (QLD), Tyla Morrison (NZA) pitchers; Samantha Robin (QLD), Keri Simeon (NZA), Georgia Blair (QLD), Rebecca McEachern (QLD), Nita Hickey (NZA), Krystal Werahiko (CB Dev), Lucy McIntyre (NZA), Robyn Hall (Red Hawks), Nerissa McDowell (Red Hawks), Janice Blackman (QLD).
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