Matua Ma claim two wins in club softball double-header
Matua Ma enjoyed two big wins as Manawatū’s premier women’s softball teams all played double-headers in the latest round of the regional club competition.
On Saturday, Matua Ma started with a 10-0 win over the Dodgers, the competition leaders, at Colquhoun Park in Palmerston North.
Only one hit was recorded, but the Dodgers gave away 11 walks.
The Dodgers out-hit Matua Ma but could not score any runs. The run-ahead rule was applied in the fifth inning.
In their second game, Matua Ma also won comfortably with a result of 15-0 over Kingswood Anahera. The game only went to three innings.
Matua Ma’s Nia Pirini had three hits from three turns at bat.
Kingswood Anahera were too strong in their second game for Levin United, winning 14-3.
Levin had no answer to Anahera’s big hitting, with an in-the-park home run by Havahana Moon. Levin only managed three runs and the game ended in the fourth inning.
Levin bounced back in their second game and won 10-3 over the Dodgers. Levin scored in every inning, including an in-the-park home run by Tyla Bull.
The Dodgers could only score three runs, with Emma Woodman also hitting an in-the-park home run.
Levin United and Matua Ma had faced off on Wednesday in a midweek game, which Levin won 15-7.
Matua Ma started well and led 6-3 at the bottom of the second inning, but Levin got bat to ball in the next two innings and scored eight runs. Matua Ma could only score one more run in the fourth inning, while Levin scored four more.
Chance Warbrick hit an in-the-park home run for Matua Ma.
Levin’s Nikki Tatana had three hits from four turns at bat.
In the men’s competition, the Blue Sox won 7-5 over the Dodgers on Thursday night.
The Dodgers got off to a good start, scoring five runs in the first two innings. The Blue Sox could only add one.
The score stayed the same until the top of the seventh inning when the Blue Sox batters came to life and scored six runs, to which the Dodgers had no answer.
On Saturday, the Linton Sentinels won 7-0 over the Huia Chiefs, with the run-ahead invoked.
The game was scoreless for three innings, until Linton scored one run. No-one scored after that until the fifth inning, when the Sentinels had six hits to take their score to 7. The Chiefs couldn’t score, and the game ended.
Linton pitcher Caleb White-Hodge had 10 strikeouts and only gave up one hit.
Results
Reserve men’s: Blue Sox 8 Kingswood Demons 7; Levin United 11 Dodgers 9; Huia Warriors 8 Huia Braves 1; Matua Ma 11 Linton Mustangs 10.
Reserve women’s: Takaro Mistiques 10 Linton Zephyrs 5; Cowgirls 13 Huia Tigers 11.
Senior men: Bramac Bombers 12 Huia Toa 7; Takaro 10 Linton BB 5; Hato Paora 27 Blue Sox 2; Cowboys bye.