Giants display fighting qualities to win

Cross Country Rentals Giants displayed their fighting qualities to beat Johnsonville 5-4 in their Inter-City series men's softball match at Fraser Park, Avalon on Sunday, and retain their place at the top of the points table in the process.
The game was as close as the final score would indicate with Giants starting strongly to go 3-0 up, thanks to Gordon Wilmshurst being brought home by a Richard Carroll drive, Carroll himself scoring from a Murray Brown hit and then Brown making home base after Justin Karaitiana put bat to ball.
Johnsonville was not to be outdone in the batting department, however, and they fought back to level things up at 3-3 before Blair Thompson scored for Giants in both the sixth and seventh innings to give them what was to be a winning break.
Giants coach Tony Nixon was delighted with the manner in which his side responded to the challenge given them by Johnsonville.
"It was a tough game, we had to work hard for everything we got," he said of the victory which came just a day after Giants had been involved in a double header, also at Fraser Park, which saw them beat Hutt Valley Marist 4-0 and lose 2-1 to powerful Porirua.
The latter defeat was Giants's first in the Inter-City series but with five wins alongside their name they still head the points table.
Pitching for Giants in yesterday's game was Ritchie Clarke and he did well to give up only six hits. Clarke also did well with the bat, as did Carroll, Brown, Karaitiana and Ryan Shannahan.
Giants will continue their Hutt Valley premier league programme with matches against Cardinals and Hutt Valley Marist at Fraser Park on Thursday night.
Three other Giants teams were also involved in inter-club games over the weekend with the President's grade side chalking up their first win with a victory over Dodgers, the under-15s losing 6-5, also to Dodgers, and the premier twos being beaten by top side, Wainuiomata, 8-0.