Wayne Laulu bats in the win over Japan.

 

ORIGINAL STORY BY Stuff

The Black Sox have made a winning start to the Challenge Cup with a 10-5 win over second seeds Japan in Auckland on Wednesday.

 The No 1-ranked team pulled away in the sixth inning with five runs after the Japanese had tied the game up at 5-5.

The Sox had got off to a great start when rising star Cole Evans took one out of the yard to give the men in black a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.

Black Sox centre fielder Ben Enoka increased the lead to 5-0 with a Two-run dinger scoring brother and captain Thomas in the bottom of the fourth.

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Starting pitcher Nik Hayes was replaced by Penese Iosefo in the sixth which was when the wheels started to wobble for the Black Sox.

Japan pulled back four runs to tie the game 5-5. Iosefo struggled in the middle of the inning but finally found his way in the top of the seventh to close out the Japanese for the win.

In other games on the opening day, Australia thrashed Samoa 12-3 and Japan edged out Argentina 6-4.

 - Stuff