Terry Waitere scores the first run for Giants Presidents who beat Wainuiomata in their semi-final on Saturday. PHOTO/JADE CVETKOV
SOFTBALL
CHRIS COGDALE
[email protected]
Giants will have three teams in the Hutt Valley Softball Championship finals next weekend.
On Saturday, the Presidents, Major B Women and Under 15s won their semifinals, while the Under 13s suffered a narrow loss.
The Presidents were the most convincing winners, defeating Wainuiomata 6-0 at South Park.
Terry Waitere got the scoreboard ticking over for Giants in the first innings. But from then on it was a tight scoreless affair until it all happened in the bottom of the sixth innings.
Bryan Hourigan was the first on base with a safe hit, followed by player-coach Russell Kawana, who was walked.
Another safe hit by Waitere, brought Hourigan home, before a Chris Feary hit to the outfield had Kawana and Waitere cross the home plate.
Feary came home on a wild pitch and the scoring was completed by Gordon Wilmshurst, who was walked and then scored from a safe hit.
In the final Giants will play traditional rivals Dodgers, who annihilated Te Aroha 10-0.
The Giants Major B Women had a tighter-than-anticipated battle with Hutt City United T-ballers, a team they had beaten 19-0.
Going into the bottom of the seventh innings Giants trailed 14-12 and needed to score three runs in their final turn at bat to avoid a shock loss.
Beauleah Karaitiana, who had earlier in the day starred for the Under 15s in their semifinal victory, got the ball rolling with a safe hit to centre outfield.
Alex Waitere was then walked to first base, before an Ashleigh Edmonds safe hit to the outfield brought Karaitiana home.
Tammy Waitere got on to base with a safe hit that had Ashleigh Edmonds scoring.
Treen Edmonds was then walked, before Tammy Waitere ran in for the game-deciding run and a 15-14 victory.
Giants will play Stokes Valley Breeze, who they had suffered a shock loss to the previous weekend, in the Major B Women’s final.
The Under 15s needed a tiebreaker to beat Dodgers Aces at Fraser Park, Lower Hutt, after the match was locked up at 5-5 after seven innings.
Teams start with the advantage of having a runner on second base for a tiebreaker.
Up stepped Beauleah Karaitiana, who hit a home run, also bringing home their on-base runner for a 7-5 victory.
The Under 15s are likely to play top qualifiers Dodgers Mini D’s in the final.
The Under 13s lost to Wainui Cubs 4-5 in a neck-and-neck game that could’ve gone either way.
Giants President Feary said hosting three of the semi-finals at South Park had been a huge success.
“We’re over the moon, we had great crowds supporting the Under 13s, Pressies and Women” he said.
“It makes our case for hosting semi-finals in the future even stronger”.
BRIEF SCORES
Presidents: Giants 6, Wainuiomata 0
Major B Women: Giants 15, Hutt City United T-ballers 14
Under 15s: Giants 7, Dodgers Aces 5 after a tiebreaker
Under 13s: Giants 4, Wainui Cubs 5
