Taylor Riwai-Couch had a top game pitching for Giants Blue. PHOTO/FILE
SOFTBALL
CHRIS COGDALE
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Giants are disputing the result of the Hutt Valley Major B women’s semifinal on Saturday involving the Giants Blue team.
Totara Park Gold controversially won the game 16-11 but Giants are protesting the outcome because the game exceeded the 90-minute time limit.
Giants president Chris Feary said that Giants Blue were leading 11-9 with about 15 minutes to play, and there was probably insufficient time to complete another full inning.
“The umpire decided to let Totara Park have another bat, then with two minutes to go, he forced our girls to have a bat, and that made Totara Park the winners,” he said.
“We’re just going through with Hutt Valley [Softball] at the moment and seeing what the story is, but it should be a reverse decision because the time was up, and Giants were
leading 11-9.”
In a time-limit game, play is ceased after 90 minutes, and the result is determined from the score at the end of the previous completed inning.
Feary said that, in theory, Giants Blue should go through to the final, but he is not confident the result would be overturned.
He said the Blues had done well to take the lead and restrict the Totara Park batters, with Taylor Riwai-Couch pitching well in place of their regular number one Renee England.
Giants though will have at least three teams in playoff action on Saturday.
Giants Red progressed to the Major B women’s bottom four final against Demons, with a 13-3 victory over Dodgers Divas.
Giants Under 15s beat Dodgers Mini Raptors 18-2 and will play a semifinal against Te Aroha on Saturday. If they won that, they would go into the final immediately afterwards.
The Under-13s won by default and will play Dodgers in the final.
