A 4-0 win over Cardinals on Thursday night propelled Masterton-based Giants to the position of top qualifiers for the semi-finals in the Hutt Valley premier league men's softball competition. Giants needed a victory to supplant Cardinals at the head of the table and after taking a 1-0 lead in the thirdinnings were never headed. Pitcher Justin Karaitiana played a huge hand in the win, pitching what coach Tony Nixon labelled a "gem" of a game in giving up only two hits to an impressive Cardinals batting line-up. And Karaitiana also made his presence felt with the bat, catching Cardinals off guard with a bunt which brought one runner home. Youngster Danny Brown, a member of the Giants under-15s squad, was played as a designated runner and had the thrill of successfully making it to home base on one occasion and Blair Thompson and Michael Grant achieved a similar feat. Coach Nixon was delighted with the high level of commitment shown by Giants with bat and ball. "We basically travelled over the hill and got straight into the game and sometimes it can take a little while for players to get into the swing of things when that happens but everybody was ready for this one," he said. That wasn't quite the case when Giants took on Hutt City United after their Cardinals success. With nothing resting on the game Giants noticeably lacked motivation and were beaten 4-0 "We were flat & I think the guys were hungry and looking forward to getting something to eat," Nixon said. "It was disappointing to drop our standards but we'll forgive them that one." This coming Thursday will see Giants again travel over the hill to play their Inter-City series semi-final match against Porirua. This is the first time Giants have made the semis of this competition which attracts the best club sides from Wellington and Hutt Valley and coach Nixon believes a grand finals berth is very much a possibility. The Hutt Valley premier league semis will be played on Thursday, March 13 with the grand final two days later.
