Blue Sox, Bramac win softball titles
Blue Sox were crowned premier men’s club softball champions after they beat Linton Sentinels 10-2 in the final at Colquhoun Park on Saturday.
Because of persistent rain a decision was made to cancel all senior softball except for the three finals.
The men’s final was a tight game with Blue Sox ahead at the bottom of the second inning 2-0.
Linton scored two runs in the third inning, with Blue Sox also scoring two.
In the fourth innings, Blue Sox had four safe hits and piled on six runs. The army boys were unable to respond.
No further runs were scored by either team, with the final score 10-2 to Blue Sox.
Blue Sox’s Jason Taiaroa was their best batter with two hits from two turns at bat.
In the women’s final, a massive fourth inning from
guided them to a 12-5 win
Aces Huia Tigers. Bramac
over Tigers got off to a great start, scoring four runs in their first turn at bat and no runs were scored by Aces.
In the second inning, Bramac scored three, taking the score at the bottom of the second innings to 4-3 to Huia.
In the third inning, no further runs were scored by either team, but in the fourth inning, the Bramac batters finally started to put bat on ball.
With the bases loaded, Bramac’s Mary Ireland stepped up to the plate and smashed a right field line drive to the fence, scoring all three runners on the base and coming home herself, a grand slam home run.
The inning was completed with Bramac scoring seven runs, to take the score to 10-4 at the bottom of the fourth.
The game was then stopped due to heavy persistent rain, but it cleared again and the players returned.
At the top of the fifth inning Ashley Young scored for Huia to take their score to 5.
Bramac only needed two more runs to end the game and this they did in fine style, with Jamie Hudson hitting a two-base hit to right field, scoring the runs needed to end the game in the fifth innings 12-5.
In the men’s reserve grade final, the mercy rule came into play as thrashed
23-5. This was a one-sided game, with the Mustangs unable to combat the powerful batting of the Blue Sox team, who had a massive 17 safe hits. The game only went three innings, as the mercy rule kicked in. The highlight was the three home runs hit by Paul Shadbolt of Blue Sox.
At the Manawatu prize giving, Mary Ireland from Bramac Aces was awarded the women’s MVP, while Dodgers’ Kelly Dyason was the men’s MVP.
Blue Sox B Linton Mustangs