Enoka laps up leadership role
The Black Sox’s home run hero Ben Enoka says it’s important for the side’s senior players to lead in the ‘‘big situations’’ at the Softball World Cup.
The veteran centrefielder let his bat do the talking when he clouted a solo shot home run in the sixth inning of Saturday’s 3-1 win over the Czech Republic in Auckland.
His blast over the leftfield fence cemented New Zealand’s win after a scratchy start by the Black Sox against the European champions.
Cole Evans, 24, is the Black Sox captain, but Enoka, 33, is their most experienced player.
The Auckland United stalwart broke into the team for the 2009 world championships in Canada and has two gold medals (2013 and 2017) from five world tournaments.
Enoka deflected any praise for his homer against the Czechs, saying he was ‘‘just trying to hit strikes and leave the balls’’ and ‘‘got lucky on that, and it was fortunate enough to get over the fence’’.
But it was a statement shot and prompted the Czechs to call in their ace pitcher Michael
Holobradek, who had been slated to start but was withdrawn due to a minor injury niggle.
It was what happened next that exemplified why Enoka and his brother, Thomas, 31, are still the Black Sox’s most feared hitters. Thomas was the second batter to face Holobradek and drove a twobase hit into the centrefield fence to keep the pressure heaped on the Czechs.
‘‘Guys are going to have to stand up in big situations,’’ Ben Enoka said. ‘‘They will arise, but the boys have been putting in the effort and training hard, when we get a chance like that, it’s nice to lead the way and put our best foot forward for the rest of the team to follow.’’
Enoka’s home run was his third time at-bat after earlier striking out then hitting into a double play. He knew he had to do something to lift his side – and he did.
Enoka said it was ‘‘quite odd’’ to find himself ‘‘being the older head’’ at his sixth World Cup ‘‘when you’re used to being the youngest and having all your idols around you’’.
But he saw his role as ‘‘just
Go to stuff.co.nz for coverage of the Black Sox’s match against the United States yesterday.
leading the young boys in the right direction and keeping a cool head in amongst all the guys who are really enthused and energised to play in a world series’’.
‘‘The boys are stoked after that win against the Czech Republic. They are a tough side, but the boys battled out through seven innings and Chappy and Josh [pitchers Daniel Chapman and Josh Pettett] held it down on the mound.
‘‘It was a benchmark effort, a line in the sand. It is going to get harder as we go on but the boys are tight and we will continue to stay connected.’’
Enoka said ‘‘some of our older players’’ were thriving off ‘‘the energy and youth’’ of younger men like teenage second baseman Tane Mumu, who led off the first inning with a stand-up double on his World Cup debut.
‘‘He’s been a spark in our team, he’s only a little player, but he has the energy and the youth and we thrive off that, some of our older players.’’
‘‘I think we’ll thrive and get better as the week goes on.’’*