Two more wins for Tigers
Papanui remain the pacesetters in the Canterbury men’s softball premiership after a double header victory.
The Papanui Tigers edged out the Halswell Hornets 1-0 on Saturday before accounting for champions Albion 8-3.
Callum Bishop gave Papanui the perfect start against Albion with a leadoff home run in the top of the first inning.
Papanui led 3-0 until Albion equalised in the third frame after player-coach Ant Stuart and young second baseman Connor Flynn both blasted automatic home runs over the leftfield fence.
It was the first premier grade home run for Flynn, a Canterbury under-19 representative, whose late grandmother, Pat Flynn, played for a New Zealand women’s team against Australia in 1951 and whose uncle, Jamie Flynn, won a world age-group title with the Junior Black Sox.
Albion’s rally prompted Papanui to make a pitching change with Ethan Johnston taking over from Ben Watts.
Johnston, who pitched Canterbury to the Jefferies Cup title, put the brakes on any further Albion scoring while taking seven strikeouts.
Bishop, who justified his promotion to leadoff batter in Black Sox star Tyron Bartorillo’s absence, backed up his home run with double and Reilly Makea also hit a two-bagger.
Ash Reihana scored Papanui’s only run against Halswell on Callum Muir’s centrefield double in the second inning.
The Tigers collected eight safe hits – two apiece to Canterbury Red Sox representatives Makea and Josh Dickson – but left 10 runners on base.
Papanui pitchers Ethan Johnston and Ben Watts combined for 12 strikeouts.
Isaac Nation was Halswell’s best batter with two of their four safe hits.
Albion edged out PCU Devils 4-3 after establishing a three-run lead in the first inning.
None of the runs were earned – batters making base from a walk, an infield error and a hit pitch – before Flynn drove the only safe hit of the frame.
Black Sox pitcher Penese Iosefo shut out PCU until the fourth inning when Curtis Dove scored after an error, a wild pitch and a passed ball.
The old firm – Gareth Cook and Stephen Ratu – plated for PCU in the top of the sixth inning with Ratu scoring from second base on Nopera Stockford’s single.
But Albion immediately grabbed the winning run with Flynn clouting a two-bagger before scoring on pinch hitter Quinn Wickins’ sacrifice fly.
Papanui shaded competition leaders Halswell 7-6 in the feature Canterbury women’s premiership game at Papanui Domain.
The home team raced out to a 5-0 lead after three innings before Halswell rallied with three runs in the top of the sixth after a centrefield triple by Isabella Waterman to reduce the score to 6-4.
Catcher Olivia King added an insurance run for Papanui into the bottom of the sixth, scampering home on Steph Kepa’s third hit of the game.
Halswell’s Olivia Cassin and Liyah Faga-Lotu scored in the top of the seventh after Lucy McIntyre’s automatic double, but Bev Leathlen grounded out for the last out of the game.
Sydenham Kereru beat Kaiapoi 7-2 .
Centrefielder Robyn Hall scored three of SK’s runs and pitcher Krystal Werahiko collected two RBIs (runs batted in) with a centrefield single in the sixth inning.
Kaiapoi took seven hits off Werahiko’s pitching with Tegan Maxted batting 1.000 with three from three.
But the North Canterbury team had to wait until the bottom of the sixth inning before scoring their two runs after back-to-back hits by Rana Joseph and Maxted.