Softball: Samoa fight but can't pull up Sox

Patrick Shannon set the tone for the Black Sox when he hit his brother Heinie's pitch over the outfield fence to start a run-riot for a 13-2 win in the opening match of yesterday's double-header in a four-game series against Samoa at Norana Park yesterday.

But Samoa bounced back in the second match, forcing New Zealand into the seventh inning, before an error cracked the Samoa defence for a 6-5 Sox win.

Shannon started a series of booming home runs after Samoa made a bright batting start against New Zealand captain and pitcher Jarrad Martin and it seemed that a real battle was brewing.

Pitcher Heinie Shannon, playing for Samoa, threw a fiery pitch at brother Patrick's head and sparked his retaliation with the opening homer in the second innings. Then Daniel Milne hit over the fence in the third before a booming home run from Travis Wilson started a run spree in the fourth.

Pitcher Shannon was replaced by Gerard Long, who conceded a further homer to Wilson, and Patrick Shannon hit another as the side tallied 10 home runs.

The game finished with the Sox not needing the last three turns at bat under the mercy 10-run, cut-off rule. Samoa's third pitcher, David Gollan, was hoisted over the fence by Stacy McLean as New Zealand scored 13 runs from only 11 hits.

But things were different in the second match when Samoa took charge in the third. Tony Niu forced an error at first. Bradley Annandale started a brilliant game with a double to score off Niu and then scored himself when Gus Leger spilled a chance.

Kurt Allan scored on a sacrifice by Mike Fenton and Samoa had a 3-0 lead.

The Sox replied when Leger scored a home run to bring Lyndon Andrew home and Wilson smashed the ball over the fence to put New Zealand up 5-3 after a Cory Matakataea automatic.

Wilson was at the centre of a great double play in the fourth to cut Samoa out and it was the fourth inning again which saw New Zealand do the damage.

That seemed to be the end of Samoa's chances but Annandale made first with a clever bunt in the fifth, Allan sparked a fumble with clever running and Fenton played the second of his three sacrifice shots before Samoa edged back to 5-5.

Samoan starting pitcher Penese Iosefo did well to begin with but was replaced by Gollan for the last three innings.

The big man used variations of pace and placement to upset the big hitters until the bottom of the seventh, with two out, when the tiebreaker loomed.

Andrew was on first base after a walk. Samoa centre fielder Jeremy Stanley, the triple international, was eager to prevent Andrew reaching third base on a hit by Leger but overran the ball and Andrew scored the winner on the error to end Samoa's brave fight.

The sides clash today at North Harbour's Rosedale Park at 11am and 1pm.


- HERALD ON SUNDAY