Harbrow hits out in softball
Black Sox infielder Josh Harbrow was in slick batting form as the PCU Devils beat Albion in the Canterbury men’s softball premiership.
Harbrow hammered a double and and picked up another safe hit in PCU’s 5-1 win at Mizuno Ballpark on Saturday.
Former Black Sox outfielder Josh Thomson also doubled for the Devils and catcher Ihaka Davis went two from four at the plate.
Pitcher Ryan Britt racked up nine strikeouts for five safe hits.
Albion’s only run went to Corey Durham, who singled and scored a hit by Ant Stuart and a fielder’s choice by PCU.
The Papanui Tigers beat the Halswell Hornets 8-1 in five innings with former Junior Black Sox teammates Jackson Watt and Callum Bishop each collecting two hits from three atbats.
The Tigers scored six runs in the third frame after five hits – four back-to-back.
Ariki Tuhoro claimed the Hornets’ run in the fifth when he was hit by a pitch and scored after successive infield singles by brothers Kieran and Isaac Nation.
Women’s grade
Canterbury women’s champions Halswell had two of their most experienced players to thank for a 2-1 win over Papanui after a ninth inning tiebreaker at Papanui Domain.
The game was scoreless for the regulation seven innings as Halswell’s veteran hurler Jenni Mumm and the Tigers’ teenage Brittany Terrey dominated the opposition hitters.
Mumm broke the deadlock in the top of the eighth, batting in catcher Finlay Martin for a 1-0 lead.
Pinch runner Dantia Clark equalised for Papanui after an infield error by Halswell in the bottom of the seventh.
Canterbury Red Hawks stalwart Nicole Baxter-Warren sealed the deal for Halswell in the top of the ninth with a safe hit to centrefield to bring home her cousin, Emma Thornley, for the winning run.
Halswell’s Bev Lethlean led the batting with two safe hits.
Terrey – fresh from clinching a softball scholarship to Indian Hills Community College in Iowa – struck out 13 Halswell hitters, giving up just four safe hits and three walks.
Mumm took seven strikeouts for five hits and three walks.
Terry, a Year 13 Papanui High School student, backed up on the mound with 11 strikeouts in a 5-2 win over Kaiapoi to give her 24 for the doubleheader.
She is starting to form a useful combination with Papanui’s
American catcher Elizabeth Snow, who batted 1.000 against Kaiapoi with two hits from two at-bats after being intentionally walked three times by Halswell with runners on bases.
Elizabeth Rice (2-2) also returned a perfect 1.000 average for Papanui.
Kaiapoi’s two runs came in the seventh inning after hits by Lauren Sutherland, Oriana Connell (double) and Teagan Maxted.
PCU Angels pitcher Paige Crawford snared nine strikeouts and hit a two-run triple in a 5-0 victory over Sydenham Kereru.
Centrefielder Samantha Henderson batted 1.000 for PCU with two hits and Carley Ratu drove in two runs in the first inning.
Cassie Siataga went three from three for SK with a safe bunt and two singles.