Lynne Guatieri who has travelled from Australia to play for Hawke's Bay at the national Evergreens softball tournament in Hastings this weekend. Photo / Paul Taylor
MEMORIES of Lynne Guatieri's early softball days in Hawke's Bay flooded back as she arrived at Akina Park, Hastings last night.
"I remember starting as a 9-year-old at the Taradale club and Joyce Chapman was our coach. Higher up the grades I had Sheryl Thompson as a coach and her mother Enid was our scorer and washed our uniforms. She always knew which was my uniform because it was the dirtiest."
Now in her mid-50s and Brisbane-based, Guatieri has returned to New Zealand for the fifth consecutive year to play for the Hawke's Bay Evergreens who will chase a fourth consecutive title at their Akina Park-hosted 11-team nationals this weekend. As she entered the clubrooms last night Guatieri strolled past a photo of former Hawke's Bay pitcher Libby Bowles who played for the White Sox at World Series level during the 1960s.
"I batted against her for the first time as a 15-year-old. I managed to drop a bunt," she recalled.
"I was a catcher when I first started and then I moved to second base. These days I'm out at centre outfield because I'm the only one who can still run," she joked.
Guatieri represented Hawke's Bay up to under-19 level before moving to Brisbane. She still plays in masters tournaments across the Tasman during the winter and summer for the Camira club.
The worker for a large transport company regularly comes across other Kiwis on the diamond, including Maree Morgan, of Hastings, who she played against at under-14 level in the Bay. Although Guatieri is one of only three members of this weekend's Bay team who still play regular ball she is confident the hosts can retain their title.
"We're going to give it a good go."
Last year Hawke's Bay won all six of their games in Levin including a 12-0, four-innings drubbing of Wellington in the final. They scored 66 runs while conceding six.
"We didn't have many full games last year which meant we were still fit when it was final time. Hopefully we can do that again ... but we're all a year older so it is going to be tougher," Guatieri said.
She batted 1000 when Hawke's Bay beat Southland 6-4 in the final of the 2016 tournament in Wellington. When Hawke's Bay won the Dunedin-hosted nationals in 2015 it was their third title in six years.
Most of this weekend's Bay team played in the previous three title-winning tournaments. Former White Sox infielder Angela Stubbs will be playing at her second Evergreens tournament while "rookie utility" Teri Bird will be at her first.
Guatieri is impressed with the form the likes of Stubbs, her former Taradale teammate Sharon Chapman and the Tatana sisters Deanna Paul and Tania Tatana-Walker regularly produce. Paul, who plays senior B women's ball in Auckland, and Stubbs, who plays for the Flaxmere senior B men's team, join Guatieri as the only regular ball players in the Bay side.
"All of our players are good softballers who can offer something different when needed. It's good to come home once a year to play with long-time friends and catch up with family," she added.
Regular first-base player and one of the team's back-up pitchers, Paula Hokianga is in her 35th year of playing.
"I didn't play Saturday ball this summer because I'm concentrating on family and work commitments so I'm really looking forward to this weekend's tournament."
Hokianga pointed out the tournament was first played 36 years ago with players from Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, Horowhenua and Wellington instrumental in the organisation of the inaugural event. Back then they were players who had retired from regular premier play but were still keen for good quality ball.
"It's going to be good playing in front of our home crowd. To me winning in front our home crowd will be more important than winning a fourth consecutive title," Hokianga added.
Hawke's Bay have a major incentive to secure title honours again. It would make an appropriate farewell from coaching duties for head coach and former White Sox player Marilyn Lorimer, the mother of first-string pitcher Kay Lorimer, who intends to join the likes of Joyce Chapman, Debbie Gordine and Yvonne Kuring as "technical advisers" next year.
Coach Lorimer's twin sister, Coralie Davies, is the scorer for the Manawatu team and their sisterly rivalry will again be on show when these two teams meet at 9am today.
Hawke's Bay will complete their section play matches with a noon encounter against Taumarunui and a 1.45pm clash with Marlborough. Should the Bay repeat previous year's efforts they will have two games tomorrow before the 1.45pm final.
The Hawke's Bay team is:
Deanna Paul, Chungi Turi, Christine Leppien, Tania Tatana-Walker, Ness Rimene, Sharon Chapman, Kae Schlierike, Kay Lorimer, Paula Hokianga, Lynne Guatieri, Chrystal Jessup, Angela Stubbs, Kim Elers, Teri Bird. Coach: Marilyn Lorimer. Assistant coach: Gay Morgan.
■ Because of this weekend's national Evergreens tournament there will be no Hawke's Bay premier men's fixtures today. In games played during the week Saints beat Flaxmere 4-3 and Fast Pitch 10-6 and Flaxmere beat Maraenui Pumas 9-4. Flaxmere and Saints are first equal in the post-Christmas competition with three wins from four games to date.