Auckland teams set to dominate
Any doubts about the current power base of New Zealand women’s softball can be dispelled by a glance at seedings for this week’s national interclub tournament in Auckland.
The top four clubs for the 16-team series are from Auckland, who have won the last three National Fastpitch Championship provincial titles.
Western Magpies are ranked No 1 for the Howick tournament this week after winning their first national interclub crown last season in their third successive final.
Led by New Zealand pitcher Jennifer Feret-brear, Magpies clinched the Auckland premiership last weekend with a 2-1 grand final win over Otahuhu.
Otahuhu, beaten finalists in 2011, have never won the national interclub, but are seeded second.
Coach Jamie Brear has four proven pitching options - former White Sox hurler Michal Fletcher, experienced American Sammi Parks, Pania Monk and Loran Parker.
Waitakere Bears, whose only national title came in 2013, will field Tyla Morrison, the White Sox pitcher who hurled Auckland to NFC grand final victory in February. She will throw to New Zealand catcher Kyla Bromhead, who is joined in the roster by sisters Rebecca and Tegan and White Sox reps Ancelle van Molendorf and Aieesha Hooper.
Ramblers, coached by former Black Sox slugger Donny Hale, are the fourth seeds. Longtime White Sox infielder Katrina Nukunuku will lead the side.
Howick are the sixth seed with canny American pitcher Marissa Berkes on the mound, backed in the batting lineup by White Sox catcher Stef Smith, Breanna Gibson and Zoe Tolhopf.
Auckland teams have won four of the last five tournaments, but three Hutt Valley sides should provide reasonable competition.
Six-time champions Te Aroha are the fifth seeds and have called up two veteran ex-white Sox internationals, pitcher Sheree Cartwright and outfielder Melisa Tupuivao, who won a silver medal at the 1990 world championships as a 15-year-old.
Hutt Valley Dodgers, champions in 2014 and runners-up last year, have picked up White Sox pitcher and catcher Rita Hokianga and Mel Gettins, who play their club softball for a Hawke’s Bay men’s team, Flaxmere.
Naomi Shaw’s Hutt Valley Saints will have Junior White Sox pitcher Bailey Robertson backing up American Alyson Spinasvalanis, current White Sox squad members Keri Simeon and Charlotte Tuala and former New Zealand captain Kiri Shaw and her daughter, Junior White Sox infielder Denva Shaw-tait.
Poneke Kilbirnie look the best of the Wellington entrants with three Koko-lutau sisters, Jaenin, Paiton and Lydia, Marama Makea and Canterbury pickup Lucy Mcintyre.
The tournament starts today with round-robin play in two sections. The playoffs phase starts on Saturday with the final on Sunday.