Softball: Giants win battle in home run fest

Callum Carson

Nine home runs were smashed in Hawke's Bay's premier men's softball competition fixtures on Saturday.

Seven of them came during Fast Pitch Giants' 11-10 win against Maraenui Pumas on diamond two at Akina Park, Hastings. Second baseman and No 9 batter Liam Udy-Johns produced two as he batted 1000 for Giants and starting pitcher Mario Herbert delivered the other homer for the winners.

Third baseman Callum Carson hit two homers for Pumas and the Aranui brothers, short stop Tiwana and second baseman Manaaki, one each. It was 15-year-old Manaaki's first homer at premier level and it completed a memorable week for the youngster as he had earlier received the top prize for Year 10 Te Reo at the Napier Boys' High School prizegiving.

Pumas' four homers were the ideal form of consolation for manager Vicky Julian who was puzzled at her team's inability to beat Giants when they opted not to use either of their international pitchers, Canadian Kyle Crawford and former Black Sox hurler Regan Manley. Giants used Herbert for the first five innings and Ihaka Tangaroa for the final two.

Tridan McClutchie was economical on the mound for Pumas during the first five innings but Tiwana Aranui leaked six runs during the last two innings.

Saints beat Vikings 6-2 in Saturday's other premier men's fixture. Catcher Jacob Zurcher and centre outfielder Dallas Brown both produced automatic home runs for Saints.

Like their pitcher Adam Woon and Carson, Zurcher and Brown are members of the Junior Black Sox wider training squad in the countdown to next year's Junior World Series in the United States. Woon is confident Saints will beat Pumas in this Saturday's semifinal despite losing 6-4 to Pumas on Thursday night.

Defending champions Giants will take on Vikings in the other semifinal which will be followed by the final.

Hine Crawford was named top pitcher and top batter after her Hawke's Bay team won the Central Region under-15 tournament in Hastings at the weekend. The Hawke's Bay boys squad was divided into two teams and Napier and Hastings finished fourth and fifth respectively in their tournament which was won by Hutt Valley.