Softball: Auckland win title in a thriller

Battling to gain traction nationally, softball got a shot in the arm yesterday as Auckland and Wellington played out a scintillating finish to the national girls' under-15 tournament at Tauranga Domain.

Auckland won a heart-stopper 7-6 in a final that went deep into the seventh inning, with Wellington having a chance to win it but leaving two runners on base as Auckland closed it out.

The final wasn't without its drama, with coach former Black Sox outfielder Fabien Makea having his protest that their runner, Mareana Makea, was impeded getting to the home plate by Auckland catcher Nik-Cole Paea upheld. Makea was initially ruled out but the reversal made it 5-4, with Wellington tying the scores through a misfield a few minutes later.

But Auckland's Makayla Mave brought two runners home in the sixth inning to restore the two-run buffer and a tighter fielding effort and solid pitching from Tyla Morrison held Wellington out in their final two turns at bat, to the relief of Auckland coach Robbie Cardwell.

"That's heart-stopping, I reckon I've aged 10 years in the last two hours and I was already getting too old for this!"

Auckland qualified top after round-robin, losing 6-3 to Waikato but beating Counties 10-0, defending champions Hawke's Bay 7-0, Hutt Valley 4-3, North Harbour 5-2 and Wellington 10-6.

Wellington dropped three games in pool play to Hutt Valley 11-10, Auckland and Sydney Metro 5-4, with their wins coming against Counties 28-1, Hawkes Bay 2-1, North Harbour 9-0 and Waikato 11-5.

Sydney qualified top with Auckland after round-robin but were downgraded to 5th because they weren't eligible for the title.

The bulk of Cardwell's players hail from the Papatoetoe club and he said it was that unity that got them through.

"There were a couple of calls that went against us today but the girls just rolled with it, put it behind them and started again. It was great to see chins didn't drop."

Morrison pitched the entire final and finished strongly as she held Wellington's powerful lineup run-less.

"Who'd be a pitcher?" Cardwell said. "Ty was our No 1 and deserved to stay on the mound all game. We hid her from Wellington the first time we played them, keeping her fresh for this one because we thought we'd make the final."

National under-15 tournament:

Championship final: Auckland 7 Wellington 6.

Semifinals: Auckland 15 Waikato 0, Wellington 4 Hutt Valley 2