Softball: BoP teams find going tough

Peter Seeing smashes a pitch for Tauranga Boys' against Papamoa College at the Carlton St Reserve. Photo/John Borren

The annual four-day Secondary Schools Softball North Island Division 2 tournament held at the Carlton Street Reserve, Otumoetai, last week was pronounced by players, officials, organisers and spectators as a great success.

There were 220 players from 17 teams - 10 boys and seven girls - plus 70 officials but there proved to be no teams who were obviously going to win the tournament championship from the beginning.

The boys final on day 4 between Hastings Boys' High School and St Peter's College, Auckland was expected to be a re-run of Hastings Boys' earlier 4-0 win over St Peter's.

The first innings was scoreless with batters soon out in both teams. In the second innings St Peter's batters brought two base runners home to take a 2-0 lead.

Hastings were scoreless and in the fourth looked on the edge of scoring with bases loaded but the other batters were struck out or caught.

In the fifth, St Peter's with bases loaded were able to seize their opportunities and brought three batters home to give them a 5-0 lead. There was no scoring in the last two innings to give St Peter's the title. Gisborne Boys' High School was placed third.

Gisborne Girls' High School or Wanganui Girls' High School were expected to dominate the girls' section, but Napier Girls' High School Green Bay High School contested the final.

The game was very close throughout. Some Green Bay supporters felt they were very unlucky to have some close decisions go against them. In the end Napier Girls' won 9-6. Wanganui High School was third. The five local teams competing (3 boys and 2 girls) did not fare too well overall. In the overall tournament placings the highest local team placing was Otumoetai College placed sixth in the boys.