North Harbour, NZ - - Rain 'Czech' for Auckland at national softball tournament
Connor Peden hit a home run for Auckland in their national championships win over the Southern Pride (File Photo).
A loss to the visiting Czech Republic team shouldn't affect the Black Sox-stacked Auckland side's bid for a fourth consecutive National Fastpitch Championship men's softball title.
Auckland opened their account with a crushing 13-0 win over the Southern Pride but succumbed to the Czechs' batting power at Albany's Rosedale Park on Thursday.
The Europeans blasted three home runs to Matos Kasal, Michal Koluch and Petr Vacha off Auckland's young No 3 pitcher Liam Twigden to win 5-2.
Eru Drage pitched Counties Manukau-Waikato to a win over Wellington (File Photo).
​Softball New Zealand officials confirmed points would count in the Czechs' matches, but the visitors – who opened with a 7-0 win over the Junior Black Sox – could not qualify for the medal round.
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Black Sox vice-captain Thomas Enoka and former international Connor Peden hammered home runs in Auckland's rout of the Southern Pride.
Ai'eesha Hooper drove in Auckland's only run in a 1-0 win over Counties Manukau-Waikato (File Photo).
Campbell Gibson, a member of the Black Sox's 2017 world championship winning squad, marked his Auckland NFC debut with nine strikeouts for two safe hits.
Left-handed Eru Drage underlined his pitching potential by firing Counties Manukau-Waikato (CMW) to an upset 4-2 win over Wellington.
Drage, who joined CMW in the draft, struck out 10 capital hitters and conceded just one hit – a two-run automatic homerun by Callum Carson in the sixth inning.
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Two of Canterbury's rising talents starred in the Red Sox's 10-7 win over Hutt Valley in a high scoring affair featuring 22 safe hits (13 to Canterbury and nine to Hutt).
Jackson Watt had three hits from five and Callum Bishop cracked a two-run double and a single.
Bishop had two hits from two and Bailey Hamilton clouted a triple in Canterbury's 8-1 five innings win over Wellington.
Japan pitcher Yuya Yamakawi struck out seven batters for one hit as North Harbour thumped Southern Pride 9-1.
Callum Ryan and former Black Sox shortstop Tyson Byrne hit back to back home runs for North Harbour in the first inning, but Wellington clinched a 5-2 win with three runs in the sixth frame.
WOMEN
Auckland began their quest for a fourth successive women's NFC title with a crushing come-from-behind 13-5 five innings win over Wellington.
Wellington stung Auckland by racing out to a 5-0 lead after five runs in the top of the third inning when White Sox international Aperira Stone and Taylor Siolo both batted in two runs.
But Auckland struck back with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by Kingsley Avery's three-run in-the-park home run and a triple by American import Amber Schisler.
Third base Stef Smith went three from three and Schisler had two hits from two at-bats.Â
Auckland had a much tougher encounter against neighbours Counties Manukau-Waikato (CMW) before clinching a 1-0 win in a battle of two American pitchers.
Schisler threw a one-hit shut-out for Auckland while left-hander Carly Xepoleas gave up only three hits for CMW.
Ai'eesha Hooper batted in Brooke Whitman (running for Samantha Parks) for Auckland's winning run in the fifth inning.
White Sox pitcher and catcher Rita Hokianga and Mel Gettins gave CMW an instant boost in a 2-0 win over the Southern Pride.
Hokianga racked up nine strikeouts while Gettins went two from three with the bat.
Both CMW runs came in the fourth inning after Gettins, Essence Jo-Rogers and Aroha Noanoa strung together hits.
Hutt Valley's White Sox brigade led the way in a 7-1 win over the Canterbury Red Hawks.
Erin Blackmore hammered a triple and a single and picked two walks for a 1.000 average. The experienced Lara Andrews had two hits from three plate appearances.
Hutt's American import pitcher Shivaun Landeros held Canterbury to five hits for two walks and four strikeouts.
Canterbury's consolation run came in the fourth inning when Lucy McIntyre doubled to score pitcher Paige Crawford.
Andrews collected two doubles in Hutt's 5-1 win over Wellington and young pitcher Bailey Robertson nabbed seven strikeouts for three hits.
AT A GLANCE
NFC Softball
Day 1 early round results from Rosedale Park, Albany.
Men: Auckland 13 Southern Pride 0 (5 innings), Czech Republic 7 Junior Black Sox 0, Counties Manukau-Waikato (CMW) 4 Wellington 2, Canterbury 10 Hutt Valley 7, North Harbour 9 Southern Pride 1 (5 innings0, Czech Republic 5 Auckland 2, Junior Black Sox 3 CMW 1, Canterbury 8 Wellington 1 (5 innings), Hutt Valley 9 Southern Pride 2 (5 innings), Wellington 5 North Harbour 2.
Women: Counties Manukau-Waikato (CMW) 2 Southern Pride 0, Auckland 13 Wellington 5 (5 innings), Hutt Valley 7 Canterbury 1, Auckland 1 CMW 0, Hutt Valley 5 Wellington 1.
 - Stuff
