Power-hitter Parata wins the best batter tag

Northland’s hard-hitting baseballer Aotea Parata earned the accolade for best batter at the Baseball New Zealand National Youth Championships hitting two home runs during the three-day tournament.

Parata was a key player, along with Parirua Tonga for the Northland under-13 side who contested the tournament which concluded on Sunday at Lloyd Elsmore Park, in Auckland.

Although a tournament team was not selected following the event, the pair were ‘‘noticed’’ by Baseball NZ selectors, coach Paul Allen said.

Tonga also hit a homer during the tournament, while teammate Ngahere Pou improved in every game, the coach added.

Despite the team’s competitive efforts at the tournament, they were dominated by stronger, tougher clubs, who were mostly Auckland-based.

Northland faced eventual under-13 champions Howick Pakuranga first in pool play and lost 19-6 before going up against North Shore City.

‘‘The team competed well in this game, but we had one bad innings where North Shore got four runs . . . we lost 6-3,’’ Allen said.

A 17-9 loss against Orewa Sharks followed, placing Northland fourth in their pool.

They then met Te Pure in the crossover match and won 13-5, leaving them seventh overall.

Meanwhile, the under-15 Northland team also struggled against their opposition.

‘‘They were up against very big, strong guys,’’ Allen said.

Many of the under-15 team members were part of last year’s under-13s side who were fourth at the 2011 nationals, but unfortunately, they could not replicate their success finishing sixth from six teams in their age grade.

Another factor affecting the Northland teams was the lack of warm--up games, despite Allen and under-15 coach and Aaron Moore’s efforts to arrange some pre-national games.

It is something Baseball Northland will try to address this year.

‘‘There has been a murmuring that Baseball NZ may start a travel fund, to help teams get some more game time by travelling to other clubs . . . so we will see what happens,’’ Allen said.

Although, the Northland teams did not go as well as they hoped at nationals, Allen said it was an awesome experience for the young players.

Baseball Northland will now focus on organising the schoolbased competition, which starts in Term Four. Schools can enter teams with players from five upwards to secondary schoolaged children.

For information, phone Northland Baseball president Aaron Moore on 09 459 5404.