***Canterbury Premier Softball Write up***

Saturday 26th January 2019

Tony Smith

WHITE SOX HONOURS FOR HALSWELL DUO

The Halswell Hornets celebrated the selection of two players in the New Zealand White Sox team with a hard-fought win when the Canterbury women’s softball premiership resumed after the month-long holiday break.

Halswell pitcher Amy Begg and first base Lucy McIntyre have been called into the White Sox for the Asia Pacific Cup tournament in Sydney later this week.

Both impressed White Sox coach Kevin Gettins at the under-23 national tournament where Lucy – a former Southlander - was the top batter with an impressive .700 average after 14 hits from 20 at-bats.

Lucy has represented New Zealand at age-group level at Australia’s Friendship Games, but this will be her White Sox debut.

Amy, who has played for the White Sox before, is a proud Halswell product, just home from a four-year softball scholarship at Morgan State University, a Division 1 NCAA college in Baltimore state.

She went to a world under-19 championships with the Junior White Sox and has now been called into the White Sox squad for the Asia Pacific Cup to replace Auckland veteran Jennifer Feret-Brear on the pitching roster. Ferret-Brear will still be in Sydney, as a batter, but cannot pitch due to a shoulder injury.

A lot of Canterbury softball people are keen to see Amy pitch after her American experience – in particular her dad Jason (Halswell softball’s president) and mum Karen, who have been her greatest supporters down the years (along with older sister Hayley).

Amy made a winning return for the Hornets last Saturday in a 3-2 win over a plucky Papanui Tigers team at Mizuno Ballpark.

She struck out 10 batters and gave up three hits and three walks, and, batting at No 9 in the order, she hit home Halswell’s second run.

Lucy scored the third, for a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning, before Papanui staged a late comeback.

Papanui catcher Hana Allan led off the top of the first inning with a confidence-boosting centrefield single off Begg.

But Halswell drew first blood in the bottom of the first when shortstop Alyssa Lory singled and scoed on two fielder’s choices.

Begg batted in outfielder Natasha Faga-Leti for a 2-0 lead in the third frame and McIntyre beat out a throw from shortstop for a base-hit in the fourth before advancing on Lorin Cook’s centrefield single, which was subsequently errored.

Papanui never threw in the towel and were rewarded with two late runs.

Allan picked a walk in the top of the sixth, advanced on Mya Pouaka’s sacrifice and scored on Elizabeth Rice’s hit to centrefield.

Shortstop Bella Lister drew a walk in the seventh, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a Halswell infield error, but Begg bounced back to strike out the final two batters and complete her win.

Papanui starter Martina Vicenova held Halswell to four scattered hits before handing over to Amy Sloane, who pitched two shutout innings at the end.

COMFORTABLE KAIAPOI WIN

Kaiapoi celebrated catcher Layla Bailey-McDowell’s selection in the Junior White Sox world championship team with a 7-0 victory over Sydenham Kereru.

The Riversiders rallied with five runs in the third inning, which featured an in-the-park home run by pitcher Lauren Sutherland, a triple from Jessica Mehr and singles to Nerissa McDowell and Teagan Maxted.

Nerissa was Kaiapoi’s top batter with three hits from three at-bats. She hammered a double, a triple and a single and collected two RBIs.

Pitcher Kaycee Prevedale was SK’s best in the batter’s box with two hits from two (including a double) for a 1.000 average.

ANGELS ON A HIGH

One big inning highlighted the PCU Angels’ 11-1 four innings win over Papanui.

Paul deLatour’s team piled on seven runs in the fourth frame with the scene set by back-to-back triples by catcher Allyne Clark and Canterbury Red Hawks infielder Leah Stockford.

Pitcher Paige Crawford and Carley Ratu (fresh from coaching the Canterbury under-15 girls to a national title) followed with singles.

Rightfielder Manaia Makiri topped it all with a two-run home run.

Papanui’s sole run came in the third inning after second base Mya Pouaka doubled and scored on Elizabeth Snow’s two-bagger.

Stockford had a game-high two hits from three at-bats for the Angels.

MEN’S PREMIERSHIP

HAMILTON’S HOMER DECISIVE FOR DEVILS

New Zealand under-23 rep Bailey Hamilton blasted a two-run home run in the PCU Devils’ 3-0 win over Halswell at Papanui Domain.

Hamilton’s homer, over the centrefield fence, also brought in Black Sox international Josh Harbrow, who will captain the New Zealand B team at next week’s Challenge Cup tournament at North Harbour.

Harbrow had collected a third inning single off Halswell hurler Jacob Wedlock.

Catcher Cam Watts singled in the sixth and scored after a hit by Anaru Anderson and a sacrifice fly from former New Zealand outfielder Josh Thomson.

Thomson went two from two at the plate for a 1.000 average and Watts was two from three. Curtis Dove cracked a double for the Devils.

PCU pitcher Ryan Britt bagged six strikeouts for four hits and a hit-pitch walk.

Hornets player-coach Aaron Collier batted 1.000 with two hits from two at-bats.

HIGGS HITS KAIAPOI HOME

Craig Higgs homered and batted three from four as Kaiapoi crushed Albion 13-4 on the Lesley Byrne Memorial Diamond at Papanui Domain.

Albion sorely missed No 1 pitcher Kev Papuni. Kaiapoi were also without New Zealand B hurler Ethan Johnston (guesting for Papanui at the Vic Guth Tournament in Auckland), but the seasoned Scott Sutherland did a fine job on the Kaiapoi Kings’ mound.

Sutherland also had three hits from five in the No 2 batting slot and brother Luke chimed in with a couple of hits too as Kaiapoi scored freely throughout the 2hr 10min game.

Albion’s best moment came in the fifth inning when rightfielder James Bolton tripled (after two earlier strikeouts) to score Hunter Martin, Jack Bates and Jamie Holmes.

Bates went two from three as Albion’s best batter.

ELE Papanui’s game was deferred due to their attendance at the Vic Guth – a week after playing at the Poneke Kilbirnie Classic in Wellington.

Photo credit: Aroha Metcalf/Facebook

Article added: Wednesday 30 January 2019