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Top guns make playoffs cut at national interclub softball champs

March 16, 2017

Christchurch, NZ - - Top guns make playoffs cut at national interclub softball champs


                                                            Phil Walter

Longtime Black Sox star Nathan Nukunuku has guided his Mt Albert Ramblers teams into the national interclub softball playoffs.

 

ORIGINAL STORY by Tony Smith

 

 

The four top seeds all qualified comfortably for the top-eight playoffs at the national interclub men's softball championships in Christchurch.

Nathan Nukunuku's Mt Albert Ramblers, Auckland United, Hutt Valley Dodgers and Canterbury champions Papanui all topped their sections after two days of pool play at Mizuno Ballpark.

Ramblers produced one of the tightest wins on Thursday, edging Canterbury's PCU Devils 2-1.

Cole Evans has been in good batting form for Ramblers.
                                    Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.nz

Cole Evans has been in good batting form for Ramblers.

 

Both runs came in the bottom of the second inning when Black Sox catcher Zane van Lieshout tripled to right centre field and scored on Maddix Rice's home run.

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Black Sox catcher Conor Peden blasted a three-run home run in Ramblers' 5-0 win over Porirua City United.

Poneke Kilbirnie's Jovaan Hanley hit a big home run in Christchurch.
                      Kevin Stent

Poneke Kilbirnie's Jovaan Hanley hit a big home run in Christchurch.

 

Auckland United were also pushed hard by a Christchurch team, requiring a tiebreaker to pip Albion 5-4.

United scored three vital runs in the fifth inning when Kallan Compain, Alfons Oveinikovas and Brock Atwell crossed.

Albion pitcher Penese Iosefo struck out four batters and held United to five hits before Reuben Topia drove in Campbell Enoka for the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.

Aiden Cocker and Hunter Martin both hit doubles for Albion.

Dodgers' Black Sox stars Joel Evans and Cory Timu smashed out-of-the-park home runs in the Hutt Valley champions' 7-3 win over North Harbour's Roosters and pitcher Nik Hayes grabbed 11 strikeouts.

Craig Wallace smote a home run and Danny Brown had two hits as Dodgers scraped past Howick 5-4. Howick's highly regarded hurler Campbell Gibson held Dodgers to four hits.

Two of Papanui's most promising players shone in a tight 1-0 win over Miramar to virtually clinch top place in section four.

Pitcher Ethan Johnston fanned 16 batters for six safe hits and outfielder Reilly Makea punched his second triple of the game before being batted home by his father, Thomas, the Papanui player-coach, for the only run.

Papanui backed up with a 2-0 win over the Stoke Eagles, getting the three final outs with runners at second and third bases, and completed pool play by beating Waitakere Bears 5-0.

There were some casualties in the top-eight section with seeded teams Northcote and Johnsonville failing to make the cut.

Johnsonville, led by Black Sox pitcher Josh Pettett, lost 2-1 to Marlborough's Saints with Pettett and Saints' Kurt Schollum both taking 13 strikeouts while yielding four hits.

Saints made the top eight after beating Tasman rivals Stoke Eagles, 3-1 and Auckland Marist also qualified, beating PCU Devils, 6-2.

Miramar put paid to Johnsonville's chances, beating their crosstown rivals 8-7.

Poneke Kilbirnie qualified comfortably, helped by Black Sox outfielder Jovaan Hanley's two-run homer in a 8-2 win over Hutt City United. Young pitcher Adam Woon took nine strikeouts, while Auckland Marist's Daniel Chapman racked up 16 in a 2-0 win over Halswell.

Auckland club Howick made the top eight for the first time after a 3-2 tiebreaker victory over Northcote.

AT A GLANCE

Results from the national men's interclub softball tournament in Christchurch.

Wednesday night: Auckland United 11 Poneke Kilbirnie 1, Mt Albert Ramblers 6 Auckland Marist 0, Stoke Eagles (Nelson) 6 Waitakere Bears 3, Howick 1 Demons (Southland) 0.

Thursday

Porirua City United 1 Halswell (Canty) 0, Saints (Marlborough) 2 Johnsonville 1, Albion (Canty) 11 Otahuhu 4, Hutt Valley Dodgers 7 Ramblers 3, Ramblers 2 PCU Devils (Canty) 1, Poneke Kilbirnie 8 Hutt City United 2, Papanui 1 Miramar 0, Johnsonville 5 Bears 0, Northcote 11 Demons 0, Auckland United 5 Albion 4, Dodgers 5 Howick 4, Papanui 2 Stoke 0, Auckland Marist 2 Halswell 0, Miramar 8 Johnsonville 7, Roosters 8 Demons 1, Ramblers 5 Porirua 0, Poneke Kilbirnie 6 Otahuhu 1, Saints 3 Stoke 1, Papanui 5 Bears 0, Auckland Marist 6 PCU Devils 2, Howick 3 Northcote 2 (9 innings).

Top eight qualifiers: Ramblers, Auckland United, Hutt Valley Dodgers, Papanui, Poneke Kilbirnie, Marlborough Saints,  Auckland Marist, Howick.​

 - Stuff

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