Softball: Monstars claim crown No 7

Melanie Gettins was a key member of the title-winning Hawke's Bay Monstars team at the weekend. Photo/File

The Hawke's Bay Monstars won a record seventh consecutive women's title at the 36th annual Fun in the Sun softball tournament in Hastings at the weekend.

With long-serving White Sox catcher Melanie Gettins on the pitching mound for most of the weekend and former White Sox infielder Angela Stubbs as prominent as she was during the Monstars previous six title successes, the Monstars won all six of their hour-long games scoring 50 runs while conceding 14. They beat Tauranga Roosters 12-0 in the final of the 10-team women's section and Justice's League Women of Auckland 8-1 in their semifinal.

Gettins' brother Josh Gettins, a regular infielder, spent most of the tournament on the pitching mound for the Flaxmere side which lost 16-3 to Dodgers Dynamos of Hutt Valley in the final of the nine-team men's division.

Former Junior Black Sox player Brad Carson was again outstanding for the Dynamos.
The Dynamos team contained an ideal mix of youth and experience and five players on the roster played for the Dynamos when they won the inaugural Fun in the Sun tournament in 1982.

Flaxmere stalwart Darryl Tamati, 59, won the men's top batter of the tournament award.
The award is judged on the players' performances in the final and third baseman Tamati, a former Hawke's Bay Magpies rugby team utility back, collected four hits from five turns at bat.

For the first time in the history of the tournament a mixed section was staged. It was won by Brown Sox of Hawke's Bay who beat Waikato's Haehae Whanau 12-0 in the final.

The Brown Sox were led by former Hawke's Bay representatives Lyndon and Derisa Hakopa who were inspirational in a side containing relatives and workmates from their Prestige Ltd business. Four teams competed in the mixed section.