Boys' High defeat reigning men's champion softballers

HERE GOES: Keaton McIlroy, of Tolaga Trojans, lines up a ball in the game against Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Uri a Maui in intermediate-age softball on Saturday. Pictures by Liam Clayton

WAIKIRIKIRI Park proved its worth as an all-purpose softball venue on Saturday.

Numerous games took place despite intermittent rain that threatened to force the cancellation of senior matches throughout the day.

With scheduled and catch-up games, the Waikirikiri Park skin diamond got a thorough workout and proved its worth as an all-purpose amenity in the rain.

These games made up the penultimate round before playoffs, so all teams are keen to find out who will be in the top and bottom three.

Gisborne Boys’ High School (1) caused a major upset by beating reigning men’s champions and previously undefeated Spartans 4-3.

The game started well for Spartans. They went 1-0 up early, on the back of a strong pitching display from TK Reihana and the hitting of Jade Hikitapua-Wilson.

As the game wore on, Boys’ High showed great patience in the batter’s box and started to gain ascendancy over Reihana.

Unsung heroes for Boys’ High were Karepa Maynard and Salu Rodriguez-Ferrere, who came up with huge hits at critical times to take Boys’ High to a 4-1 lead.

Spartans brought in Corey Reihana to pitch, and he was practically unhittable.

Boys’ High were forced to withstand one final onslaught from Spartans to take the game.

For Boys’ High, the pitcher-catcher combination of Jesse Hohepa-O’Keefe and Jake Noble hit their spots on the inside and outside of the plate to keep the Spartans batters off-balance.

Meanwhile, captain Cruz Hinaki’s commitment and enthusiasm inspired the rest of his team.

For Spartans, Treyson Hikitapua-Wilson and Maru Leach showed their class, both in the field and in the batter’s box.

TWK Rams had two wins from two games on Saturday, and both were rather comfortable.

They beat Uawa Titans 20-3 in the first game and then beat the previously undefeated GBHS (1) 9-2.

All the TWK batters were on form. Mike McBeth hit automatic home runs against both opposing teams.

Veteran pitcher Tom Kingi Jr pitched both games and kept both lots of batters in check.

Boys’ High had just beaten Spartans but could not maintain the same momentum in this game.

Other men’s results: Spartans beat Steelers 7-3, Tolaga Titans beat GBHS (2) 8-5, and Steelers beat GBHS (2) 10-2.

In the main women’s game of the day, last year’s finalists — Uawa Scorpions and Rovers (1) — were at it again.

It wasn’t until their last turn at bat that Uawa made sure of the win, 13-7. Before then the score was 8-7.

Neither team wanted to give in to the rain, and they kept playing throughout.

Initially the game centred on the clash of the pitchers — Alicia Armstrong and Jana Hihi for Scorpions and Jesse Collier and Terangi Hinaki for Rovers — and then the batters got to work.

Rachel Tahana and Kahu Brown batted well for Uawa, while Jesse Collier and Terangi Hinaki were the pick of the Rovers line-up.

Other women’s results: Uawa Scorpions beat Uawa Magic 11-5, Lytton Gems beat Gisborne Girls’ High School 13-6, and GGHS beat Uawa Magic 7-0.

After four weeks of play, Uawa Scorpions and Lytton Gems lead the women’s section with three wins each.

In the men’s competition, three teams — GBHS (1), TWK Rams and Spartans — have three wins from four games.

Next week’s final round-robin games will determine the seedings for the playoffs on December 2 and the finals on December 9.