Upper SI softballers fourth
A superb all-round team effort propelled the Upper South Island softball team to fourth position at the national under-19 tournament in Hastings last week.
The mix of young men from Nelson and Marlborough gelled quickly and were competitive in every match, winning six and losing three, their widest losing margin just two runs.
Inspired by pitchers Josh Kelly and Riley Power, who handled most of the work on the mound, they performed exceptionally well, according to coach Steve Healy.
Power’s stats earned him the top pitcher of the tournament accolade while Kelly was named in the Tournament Rest Team. Infielder Mardi McBride, who excelled with the bat, was the only USI player included in the Tournament Team.
USI opened the four-day tournament at Akina Park on Thursday with two wins, accounting for Auckland B 6-1 in their opener, then tipping over Tairawhiti (Gisborne) in their second encounter.
Kelly, gave up just three hits and registered 10 strike outs in the first game, and Power, who allowed just one hit in the second, showed their potential early while Caleb Delany, Kelly and Horouta Wilson slammed home runs.
USI faced a tough assignment on Friday, playing Wellington, Hawke’s Bay and Hutt Valley. They lost the first two games by a single run, before registering a big win in the third.
In the first game, Wellington pitcher Sam Marley kept a rein on the USI batters and, although McBride managed to twice for the Mainlanders they came up short 3-2.
A highlight for USI was a slick infield double-play, one of six they pulled off during the tournament.
Hawke’s Bay, who lost 10-4 to Auckland in the tournament final, prevailed 2-1 in a tight encounter which went to the eighth inning. USI led early when Anaru Anderson hit a triple and scored on a sacrifice bunt but Hawke’s Bay levelled in the fourth, forcing a tiebreaker where they bagged the go-ahead run.
Hutt Valley were defeated 9-1, with Power on the mound initially before Marlborough youngster William Macdonald closed the match out in the fifth.
Anderson, who showed admirable patience at bat throughout, Gavin Peattie, Kelly, McBride and Campbell Gill shone at the plate, Peattie and McBride slamming home runs.
Going into Saturday as third qualifier from their section, USI met North Harbour first up.
They led 5-1 after the fifth and although the northerners closed the gap to 5-4 at the finish, scored a vital win. Power opened on the mound, with Kelly closing it out while Peattie continued his strong batting display with an automatic home run.
Next up were old foes Canterbury in a quarterfinal match-up. The red and blacks led 2-0 after the first as top batter Reilly Makea got to work.
A run to Kelly reduced the margin in the second before Canterbury added runs in the third and fourth.
A third inning run to Anderson made the final score 4-2 but the USI side generally struggled to get the better of Canterbury’s left-handed pitcher Jackson Watt.
The final day brought better news for USI. They opened with a rematch against North Harbour in the playoffs for fourth to seventh position and won 5-0.
Anderson, Cole James and Kelly, with a home run, shone with the bat while Kelly also pitched well, offering up just three hits.
Their final game, for fourth and fifth, was against Canterbury and this time the tables were turned, USI prevailing 7-6 in the 10th inning.
The scores were locked 5-5 after seven innings, then 6-6 after the eighth before Anderson crossed home plate on the back of a Kelly hit to seal the win.
McBride managed two safe hits and Peattie slammed an auto as the USI batters got to grips with Watt’s pitching, while Canterbury danger man Makea was walked when he came to the plate.
‘‘We finished seventh last year,’’ said Healy, ‘‘so it was a huge step up.
‘‘We gave up 21 runs while Auckland, who won the tournament, were next best with 28. Our overall fielding was absolutely outstanding.’’
The team also had to make a late reshuffle with Marlborough’s Braden Healy suffering a serious arm injury in the final practice and being replaced by Nelson’s Justin Barr.
The next assignment for the Upper South Island softballers is the national under-17 tournament to be played at Pukekohe, beginning today.
The Marlborough team won the recent South Island tournament and they will be strengthened by the addition of four Nelson players, leaving coach Healy to suggest that they ‘‘have the ability to go deep in the tournament.’’