Demons defeat Tigers

There was only one major league softball game played at Surrey Park on Saturday, as the Demons Blue team was away at a masters tournament.

The game played resulted in Forklift NZ Demons defeating the Tigers 15-7.

The Tigers started the game with aggression, when lead off batter Dillon Cooper reached base after an infield throw was off target.

Terry Thurlow came up with a safe bunt to push Cooper around, and when another infield throw by Demons was off target, Cooper raced to third base and Thurlow reached second base.

Newly promoted Kere Pikia proved he was up to the job with a big three base hit to score Cooper and Thurlow, scoring himself on a wild pitch.

The Demons got back on track in the bottom of the innings, scoring four runs to William Campbell, Daniel Perry, Kieran O’Connor and Isaac Thurlow.

It was the Demons again in the second and third innings, adding another eight runs to the total, jumping out to a 12-3 lead.

The Tigers pulled back another run in the third, and three in the fourth, but Demons was not finished, with Jonty Grey hitting a home run in the bottom of the fourth, and with Scott Sinclair on base, Perry came up with another home run to score both runners and end the game in the fifth innings.

For Demons: Sinclair and Perry (2) Campbell, O’Connor, Thurlow, Grey (1).

The Tigers batters were Ryan Webster (2) Terry Thurlow, Pikia, Nic McDonald, Ryan Fallows, Wiremu Karetai, Aister Kazuki (1). On the Premier 1 diamond, the Panthers Wildcats had mixed fortunes in its double header results, easily defeating the Titans 18-0, but going down to Port 5-7.

Cameron Wallace and Mitchell Wheeler were the top batters for the Panthers, while Paul Henry was the only Titans batter to record a hit. In the Port game, the game was tied after five innings at four runs apiece.

When two batters were walked to base for Port in the bottom of the sixth, Duncan McCulloch came up with a hit to score both base runners, scoring himself on a hit by Jason Lovett.

The Panthers were only able to add one more run in the top of the seventh.

The play of the day happened in Premier 2, where out at centre field, Todd Schrader from the Panthers Braves took one of the best catches seen at Surrey Park. After running several metres, it looked as if the hit would land safely but after a full low dive, Schrader came up with the ball.