Dean Schick Results + Auckland club results 23-24 Feb 2007
February 25, 2007
Wellington, NZ
Metro’s talented side fizzled out in the final of the Northcoteclub’s 14th Dean Schick Memorial series at North Shore, goingdown to visiting Christchurch United Devils 4-1.
Devils was the only team to beat Metro in the weekend event,also winning 6-0 in section play when Metro’s batters failed to functionwith only one hit, from Black Sox player Roman Gabriel, while Devilspunished Metro with a big total of 13 hits. The runs came in two franticflurries.
For Devils it was a tribute to the pitching of Black Soxhopeful Penese Iosefo, backed up by Jared Welsh. The two were a dynamicduo all weekend, as were ace batters Daniel Milne and Gareth Cook.Milne’s first inning home run stunned Metro in the final.
In the section play win over Metro it was Welsh doing thedamage control with a great one-hitter while batters Milne and Cooke letloose with two onslaughts which rocketed the score up to 6-0. Each hitthree in a row in the fourth, sixth and seventh turns, aided by ClaytonEllis and Iosefo, to score all the runs. It was a real bid for Black Soxpermanence for the pair.
Christchurch beat Ramblers 6-4 after Ramblers started thescoring with two in the second turn. But Brad Annandale hit a home runand a double, Jamie Frisby hit out twice, Milne singled and hit a homerun and there were valuable hits from Ellis and Paul Delatour. Coach GlenRoff stated that he was please that the side had recovered from alack-lustre season in Christchurch. It was his team’s second weekend inAuckland in the past month, each time looking impressive.
Metro downed minor premiership winner Ramblers 3-2 in agreat section game, with all the runs coming from two huge home runs inthe tiebreaker eighth inning.
With two runners on base, big Samoa international DuaneJerard slammed a high home run on to the second level of the clubroomsand Ramblers’ Lyndon Andrew, a Black Sox player, hit one in the next turnto land it in exactly the same spot.
Metro also beat Schick titleholder and national clubchampion Hutt City 1-0 in another tight match. Rod Caddy hit home thetiebreaker runner, also in the eighth inning.
In the final, Metro also struggled to bat well, taking onlytwo hits. Christchurch had a strong lead by the time Josh Niu hit on tobase in the sixth, scoring on a sacrifice by Tony Niu, which was alsoerrored.
Ramblers had a nightmare weekend, winning only the platesemi final after losing all three section matches. The side’s legendarybatting form disappeared as the side conceded six runs to both Hutt Cityand Christchurch. Hutt won the plate final 3-2 to compound the Ramblers’misery.
Miramar batted well in a 7-1 win over Northcote but wentscoreless against PK and Waitakere Bears.
Hutt’s Jeremy Manley struck out 20 Metro men but lost thegame 1-0 when his men failed to gather the runs.
In its first Schick series, Bears did well, beating Miramar1-0 and losing 3-4 in a tiebreaker with PK and 6-5 to Northcote.
Northcote, the side which has pulled out of the nationals inChristchurch with funding problems, had close calls with 6-5 wins againstBears and PK and was thumped in Miramar’s sole win of the weekend, didbattle hard against Northcote in the semi final. Each time Metro chargedahead, Northcote fought back, but finally succumbed 8-4. But while BradRona, the top RBI and home run man, was about, there was always a chancefor the host club.
For Hutt City, the biggest trophy was that of Ramblers, tothe tune of 6-1. Inspirational batting by Jeremy Manley, Regan Manley (ahit and a home run), Lance Abbott, Todd Grego, Tyson Byrne, Matt Talferand Steve Deans cracked in eleven hits. Regan struck out ten and allowedonly four hits to Ramblers’ dangerous line up.
Most of the top Auckland players will be playing in thenational league finals against Wellington and Canterbury thisweekend.
Results: Section A: Northcote 6 Bears 5, PK 2 Miramar 0, Miramar 7Northcote 1, PK 4 Bears 3 TB, Northcote 6 PK 5, Bears 1 Miramar 0. B:Devils 6 Ramblers 4, Metro 1 Hutt 0, Metro 3 Ramblers 2 TB, Hutt 6Ramblers 1, Devils 6 Metro 0.
Plate semis: Ramblers 5 Bears 4 TB, Hutt 4 Miramar 3. Final: Hutt 3Ramblers 2.
Schick semis: Metro 8 Northcote 4, Devils 5 PK 4 TB.
Final: Devils 4 Metro 1.
Tournament team: Pitchers: Craig Gibson Mir, Regan Manley Hutt, catcherSteve Deans Hutt, infielders Gerard Long Bears, dean Wallace Northcote,Darren Davies Devils, Brad Rona N/c, outfielders Daniel Milne Devils,Brad Annandale Devils, Dean Jamieson Mir, Utilities: Dave Metekingi PK,Casey Eden Bears. DP: Gareth Cook Devils. Coach Glen Roff Devils withassistant Dion Nukunuku Metro. Manager Barry Annandale Devils, scorerJackie Hockley and umpire Michael Smeath.
In the Auckland fastpitch championship, United took two importantwins on Saturday, downing bottom side Glenora and close challengersOtahuhu 6-1. The wins are crucial as United, Waitakere Bears, Northcoteand Metro are all locked together to find the second spot on the Aucklandchampionship table, and a certain spot in the top four play offs. Thirdand fourth will have a harder draw.
The battle for the coveted second place in the minorpremiership, and an automatic place in the grand finals, has left Metro,Auckland United and Northcote locked on 24 points, each with one game toplay.
Waitakere Bears, with games in hand, is also a contender as theseason winds towards the Auckland final.
In the bottom five, Howick’s two wins puts the side intocontention for one of the minor play-off berths. The side’s big 20-0 winover Glenora and the 4-0 win over close rival Otahuhu made it a fine dayfor the eastern club which has been searching for consistency allseason.
With Northcote racing into the finals, Bears struck a majorblow in the women’s series with a fine win over close contender Marist,although both challengers have games in hand.
Men: Newcastle Homes Howick 20 Artizan Glenora 0, Auckland United 6Otahuhu 1, United 8 Glenora 1, Howick 4 Otahuhu 0, Metro 2 Royal CaninWaitakere Bears 0. Points: Ramblers 32 (2 games to play), Northcote 24(1), Metro 24 (1), Bears 20 (6), United 24 (1), Howick 14 (3), Marist 10(4), Otahuhu 6 (3), Roosters 6 (2), Glenora 0 (1).
Women: Waitakere Bears 10 Howick 6, Marist 9 Otahuhu 2, Bears 2 Marist 1.Points: Northcote 32 (7 to play), Bears 26 (5), Marist 22 (6), Howick 6(7), Otahuhu 4 (7).
http://www.softball.org.nz/
* Email:snz@softball.org.nz
Cheers Vance
Softball New Zealand web master.
* Email:vanf@ihug.co.nz
