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Roosters, Waitakere Bears score victories in Auckland softball

Wednesday 15 December 2021, 10:13AM

By dave worsley

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AUCKLAND

Round two of the Auckland Softball pre-Christmas Northern Fastpitch Series (NFS) competition saw some big scores and a couple of tight encounters.

The Roosters premier men from Te Atatu came through for a narrow 3-2 win over Accent Insurance Howick at Meadowlands Reserve on Saturday.

After a slow start, plenty of action in the third inning saw Howick take a 2-1 lead. Roosters scored two more runs in the fifth inning, to take the lead and hold to win the game.

In the reserve game between the two clubs, Roosters came out a 6-2 winner.

However, the star of the weekend was White Sox Shyah Hale, who did the damage for the Waitakere Bears premier women at Warren Freer ballpark in a 12-1 win against Pure Athletic Mt Albert.

Leading off the inning after a year away from the game following major knee surgery, Hale latched onto a Pearl Marli Waetford pitch and dispatched it over the outfield fence.

Spurred on by the big hit, the Bears loaded bases allowing their starting pitcher and catcher, Mim Cudicio and Aroha Noanoa, to knock two-RBI doubles to take a 5-0 lead.

Mikayla Cross earned a walk, which then bought Hale back to the plate again and to face relief pitcher Nerida Elson. The last time Hale played Ramblers at Warren Freer, she blasted two home runs in the game as a 15-year-old.

A year older, she did it again but this time in the same inning, sending the score to 8-0.

Ramblers clawed one run back in the third inning as Richlyn Tuhoro was hit by a pitch, stole second and eventually crossed for the run on Zoe Tolhopf’s drive to centrefield.

However, Bears veteran Kayla Clark helped her team finish off the game in her 20th season of premier softball for Waitakere as they rattled off four more runs for an eventual 11-run win.

In the reserve game between the two clubs, the score was also one-sided, with Waitakere winning 13-3.

Ramblers women now take a break until the New Year when they start 2022 at the Wayne Roper tournament hosted at Otahuhu.

The other reserve women’s games saw the North Harbour Bandits overcome rivals Northcote 9-5.

In men’s reserve grade, Auckland United were too strong for the Waitakere Bears, winning 5-1. The other men’s reserve grade contest at Fowlds Park saw Otahuhu overcome Northcote 4-3 but only after five additional tie-breaker innings as scores were level after the regulation six innings.

NORTHERN FASTPITCH SERIES RESULTS

Premier Men

Roosters 3 Howick 2

Premier Women

Waitakere Bears 12 Pure Athletic Mt Albert Premier Women 1

Reserve Women

North Harbour Bandits 9 Northcote 5
Waitakere Bears 13 Mt Albert 3

Reserve Men

Auckland United 5 Waitakere Bears 1
Otahuhu 4 Northcote 3
Accent Insurance Howick 6 Roosters Reserves 2