Softball: Pitcher perfect family

Bernard's idol is older brother Donny. He respects him so much he "gets shivers down his spine" when he is called "Donny's little brother" on the softball diamond.

Bernard is, at 18, 10 years younger than his big bro' and on the verge of an international breakthrough.

Donny has played a huge part in his younger brother's development. Bernard has quietly studied the way he performs and some of his mana has definitely rubbed off. So much so that in the opinion of one of the game's most respected identities, Mark Sorenson, the younger Hale could turn out to be better than his role model.

Sorenson - who will coach Hale as part of the New Zealand under-19 men's softball team competing at the Junior World Cup in Canada in July - believes exposure to his brother's play and advice over the years has helped mould an even better version of Donny.

Both are batters and outfielders who can pitch. Donny is rated in the US as one of the world's top batters but Sorenson believes Bernard could be even bigger.

"Donny was a pioneer and Bernard has had the benefit of his brother already having been there," he said. "He has been learning from his brother. He has strength as a batter and is solid in the field. He prepares himself well and has a great work ethic."

Sorenson had a conversation with Bernard at the under-19 regional championships, played in January, telling him to "take the tournament by the scruff of the neck". Hale responded.

He led Auckland to victory in the final over, pitching his side to a claw-back win after Auckland was 6-1 down. Auckland tied the game 6-6 in its final turn to bat in the bottom of the seventh innings and went on to win the tie-breaker.

Bernard was the tournament's top batter with a batting average of .607 (17 hits from 28 turns) and most valuable player. His efforts earned him a spot in the All Stars team which took part in the Evodrive Series with the Black Sox in Japan, Australia and Samoa last month. That gave him his first taste of international senior softball, competing against brother Donny, who was playing for the Black Sox.

The pair have faced-off and played together several times in the past few years. They played for Auckland club Metro two years ago in a Hawke's Bay tournament.

"Donny was good," Bernard said. "If I made a mistake he would pull me aside and tell me what I had done wrong, in a nice voice, not bawling me out.

"Donny has been a huge influence on me. Just looking at him in the batter's box, I wanted to be like or better than him.

"We've talked about how it feels to win a world title. My long-term goal is to make the Black Sox and win a world championship."

The pair played against each other recently in the Auckland club premier competition. Bernard for Metro, Donny for Ramblers.

"We were both having a haircut when I got a call that I was pitching in the semifinal against Donny and I told him I was going to strike him out," Bernard said. "But it didn't quite work out that way!"

Softball is a huge part of Hale family life in West Auckland. Dad Wayne used to coach Bernard, mother Maria used to be scorer, and Bernard's sister Carina played for the NZ under-19 women's softball team in 2000 and 2001 and made the White Sox in 2002-03.

She is just coming back into the game after having a baby at Christmas and has been pitching for Hutt Valley in the New Zealand Community Trust National League.

The influence of a softball family works in a player's favour, according to Sorenson.

"It is something we take into consideration during selections - players who come from a softball family understand how to win. Some players know how to play, others know how to win," he said.

The New Zealand side fly to North America for a preparation tour for the world championships in Canada from June 24-July 3.

New Zealand has a proud history in the under-19 world championships. They've won two titles, in 1985, with Mark Sorenson as captain, and 1989, when the 2005 team's assistant coach Dion Nukunuku was in the team.

Bernard's goal for the tournament is to win his first world title.

If he does that he will achieve something even his brother hasn't. Donny was between ages for selection for the four-yearly series and hasn't played in an under-19 world championship - a point not lost on his younger brother.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY