Only team to impress Burnside

Press, 3 February 1986, Page 28

Only team to impress Burnside

The premier grade tn the Dalgety Crown Travel women’s softball competition, which consists of the top four sides from the pre-Christmas play, started on Saturday, and the lack of match competition really showed. The only team to impress with the bat was Burnside. Robert Brown Albion 10 ABL Suburbs 3 Albion looked set to dominate this match from the top of the first when the lead off, Lynda O’Cain smacked a triple to right field and was sacrificed home by Trinia Whittaker.

However, the side’s batting went right oft the boil, while several of its base runners lost potential scoring opportunities through not being aware of where the ball was.

The bottom of the first produced pressure for Albion as the first two Suburbs batters were walked and a hit loaded the bags. The strong defensive field held and an excellent double play on a force to the plate and at first squashed any hope . Another double play by Albion managed to keep Suburbs scoreless again in the second. Then in the top of the fourth, after both sides had gone three up, three down, Albion went out to a 20 lead.

The lead off, Chris Tew, hit safely to centre field and was sacrificed to second and third. Penny Salton then stepped into the batter’s box and picked up a flat drive to right field to score Tew. B. Salton and Tew, in fact, were the only players who looked convincing with the bat Suburbs levelled the scores in the bottom of the fifth when Carolyn Arthur and Chris Stuart both scored runs. Arthur was walked to first while Stuart thumped a magificent line drive through left field to score Arthur. Sue McCullough then stepped into the box and powered a ball over right field’s head to score Stuart and make third. The player-coach, Cheryl Kemp, then put herself Into the game and with the following batters neatly disposed of, McCullough was left stranded on third. Neither side could break the deadlock in the sixth or seventh innings and at the top of the eighth Albion filially applied the pressure to take the game. Albion’s lead off, Nicky Hudson, scored twice in the innings, while Vicky Upton, Natalie Hazelwood, Kim Hook, Wendy Hughes, Salton and Kemp all crossed the plate once. With one down Carol McLean hit safely to the outfield for Suburbs, the ball was errored and McLean made second and raced home

on another error to give Suburbs its third and final run of the match. While. Suburbs might be disappointed with the final score, the side can be well satisfied with its performance in the field, as It was errorless going into, the eighth innings. Burnside 11, Monowai 3 This match developed into a scorer’s nightmare, as Bumside’s coach, Lyndsey Leask, gave everyone in her squad an opportunity to take the diamond and players were substituted, while others changed positions once the side had control. Burnside left runners stranded on base at the top of the first and second, but then turned on a superb batting display in the third to put the match beyond Monowal’s grasp by going through its order, plus two. The lead off, Chris John, dropped a safe bunt as did Jane Earnshaw. Robyn Storer then hit safely to right field to score John while Anita Perreau hit a tremendous left-field home run to plate Earnshaw and Storer.

With the bags clear and none down, Chris Patterson singled to centre field and scored as Paula Kay smacked a centre field triple. Marilyn Lee scored the final run of the innings with a centre-field hit. Some fine play by Monowal’s Kela Smith at first kept Burnside scoreless in the fourth. However, the fifth produced a further two runs. The lead off, Kay, scored her second ran after making base on a right field hit and when two down John singled to right field where an error was made. Kay crossed the plate as did -John off the error. Monowal’s Poppy Raukana gave her side its second ran when she hit a fine centrefield triple and scored off a fielder’s choice. The result became obvious at the top of the seventh. Kay and John scored their third runs while Earnshaw got her second. ■ ■ « At the bottom of the seventh Storer went onto the mound and John took first base, While Storer won deserved acclaim at the recent World Series by being named the most valuable player of the championship and named on the World All Stars team, it is highly doubtful if her light hearted debut on the mound this year would have won her any awards. She wild pitched Monowal’s Kathryn Elffe in and walked two further batters before finally taking the out to conclude the game. For Burnside both the New Zealand trialists, Jahn and Perreau, had tremendous games with the bat, finishing with averages of. Boo.