Softball: HB women retain Evergreens title

Luke Herrick.

Former Taradale softballer Lyn Guateri travelled from Australia to play for Hawke's Bay at the national women's Evergreens tournament in Wellington at the weekend.

Guateri, who represented Hawke's Bay up to under-19 level before moving to Brisbane, made the trip worthwhile when she batted 1000 as Hawke's Bay beat Southland 6-4 in yesterday's final to retain the title they won in Dunedin last year. This victory was one of five from as many games for the team.

Kay Lorimer, hit a home run in the final and pitched four of the five games. One of the team's "technical advisers" and long-time matriarch of the code in the Bay, 81-year-old Joyce Chapman, said the Bay's performance in the final was almost error free.

Hawke's Bay walloped North Harbour 12-3 in their semifinal and Hutt Valley 16-2 in their quarterfinal. One of the Bay's most experienced players, short stop Sharon Chapman, missed these games after being taken to hospital with a broken leg after the previous day's two games saw the Bay beat Horowhenua 25-1 and Southland 5-2.

Crystal Jessup performed well at short stop in Chapman's absence while catcher Deanna Paul and first base players were others to shine.

Central Vikings player-coach Luke Herrick won the top batter award at the national men's interclub tournament which finished in Nelson yesterday. Herrick finished with a batting average of 727, eight safe hits from 13 at bats.

"I only played to give the boys a hand. I've just turned 35 so hopefully this sort of form might give me a look in with the Hawke's Bay Evergreens men's team," Herrick said.

His team finished 17th in the 21-team event and beat Auckland Roosters 7-4 in the final of the bottom division. On Saturday the Vikings beat Roosters 7-5 and lost 2-1 to Waikato's Fairfield United.

Six Hawke's Bay-based players, the White Sox World Series-bound trio of pitcher Rita Hokianga, catcher Melanie Gettins and shortstop Hailey Breakwell, former White Sox infielder Angela Stubbs, along with Americans Allyssa James and Mallory Ingalls, played for Hutt Valley Dodgers who were beaten 2-0 by Auckland's Magpies in yesterday's final of the women's interclubs in Lower Hutt.