Two Aces wins in double header
SOFTBALL: In cooler conditions at Colquhoun Park in Palmerston North on Saturday, the Bramac Aces women’s team picked up two big wins in their double header.
The Aces were in fine form in their first game against the Rangitı¯kei Rebels and scored 12 runs in their first turn at bat, including two home runs. The first one went to Hiria Mohi and the second to Lua Mataelona.
The Rebels kept Bramac to only four runs in the second innings. The Rebels could not score and the game ended with the run-ahead rule applying.
Final score: Bramac Aces 16 Rangitikei Rebels 0.
Bramac’s second game was a convincing 16-9 win against old rivals Huia Tigers.
Again, the Aces batters got off to a good start and in the first two innings had piled on 14 runs.
The highlight of this was the grand-slam home run by Lua Mataelona, scoring herself and the three runners on base. Huia were working hard to catch Bramac and at the end of the third innings were behind 14-6.
The Tigers kept Bramac scoreless for the next two innings, but at the top of the fifth innings, Bramac’s Aareta Mohi hit a home run out to leftfield, with one runner on base.
Bottom of the fifth innings and Huia put pressure on the Bramac fielders getting runners on base scoring 3 runs before the 3 outs were taken to end the game.
Feilding SPC beat Score-a-bulls 22-4.
The first innings was a close one, with Feilding leading 1-0. In the second and third innings, Feildings batter’s came to life and they scored 14 runs. Bulls managed to score four runs in these two innings before Feilding pulled away in the fourth innings, taking their score to 22.
Bulls could not match this and the game ended with the runahead rule applying.
For Bulls, Muds Ngaau had two hits from two turns at bat. SPC Feilding’s Emma Hatzen had three hits from four turns at bat.
In the late women’s game, Bluesox beat Linton 14-7.
This game was close for the first three innings, with the score 2-2. Included in this was a lovely home run by Linton’s Kimi Grant. Bluesox pulled away in the fourth innings, scoring five runs. Top of the fifth innings and Bluesox pressured the Linton fielders, with five safe hits, scoring a further seven runs.
Bottom of the fifth innings and Linton scored 3 runs including a leftfield home run to Becs Dymock taking their score to 7 but it was not enough and the game ended.
Katrina Taiaroa and Anita Te Amo led the way with the bat for Bluesox both recording 2 hits from 3 turns at bat.
In the early men’s game, Bluesox proved too strong for Raiders, beating them 10-0.
The Raiders were unable to handle the pitching of Bryan Taiaroa, who struck out 10 of the 16 batters he faced and only gave up one safe hit.
Bluesox scored in every innings. The highlight of this game was the two over-the-fence home runs by the Bluesox batters. The first was by Davin Harlen and the second went to Jamie Harris.
In the first of their double header, Linton Sentinels played the Raiders, who also had a double header. This was a close game and at the bottom of the fourth innings, the score was 2-2.
Fifth innings and Raiders piled on six runs to take their score to eight. The Sentinels had no answer and could not score. No further runs were scored and the Raiders ran out winners by 8-2.
Linton Sentinels then played Huia Chiefs. Linton could not fire and the Chiefs got away to a good start, scoring eight runs in the first three innings.
Fourth innings and Linton managed to score a run after a great three-base hit by Jake Ross.
Huia scored two more runs and the game ended with the final score being Huia Chiefs 10 and Linton Sentinels 1.
Huia’s Gareth Greenfield led the way with the bat, having three hits from four turns at bat.