Softball: Pitcher dominates US scene

Courtney Gettins, with father and Sox coach Kevin watching, is the best pitcher in the United States. PHOTO/FILE

Perfect timing for Hawke's Bay softball pitcher Courtney Gettins.

Five days out from the naming of the White Sox team for the July World Series in Vancouver, Gettins, 19, was yesterday named pitcher of the week in the National Junior College Athletic Association's division one competition. This honour came two days after the Florida South Western College Buccaneers hurler was selected as the 25-team Region 8 pitcher of the week.

A two-time Ngati Kahungunu Junior Sportswoman of the Year award winner, Gettins is the first Kiwi to win both awards and her United States national honour is the first for any student athlete from her college.

"These honours have got to impact on the way we are thinking," her father and White Sox head coach Kevin Gettins said.

"Courtney has been over there for six months and to me her big improvement is the most exciting aspect of her play," he added.

Region 8 is one of 24 in the United States competition and Gettins pitched the Buccaneers, who are first timers in the comp, to three consecutive wins during the judging period and finished with an earned run average of 0.64. She struck out 11 batters in a 1-0 win over 13th seeds Miami Dade before producing a career high 19 strikeouts in a 2-1 win against 17th seeds Spartanburg Methodist.

During a 6-1 victory against Gulf Coast State Gettins struck out seven batters. In 22 innings Gettins conceded 13 hits and two runs which were both earned while accumulating 37 strikeouts.

An Iona College product, Gettins was a member of the White Sox team which finished eighth at the 2014 World Series in the Netherlands. Last year she was a regular starting pitcher for the Junior White Sox team which finished fifth at the July Junior World Series in Oklahoma.

It will be a surprise if Gettins isn't named in the White Sox team on Wednesday. Her sister, catcher Melanie Gettins, who has been in the White Sox since 2006 and Hawke's Bay-based pitcher Rita Hokianga are also expected to get the nod.

The pair have been in hot form for Hutt Valley who have recorded four wins and one loss to date at the country's most prestigious tournament, the National Fastpitch Championship, in Christchurch. Hutt Valley opened their campaign with a 3-1 loss to Wellington before beating Auckland 1-0 and Counties-Waikato 5-1 on Thursday.

Yesterday Hutt Valley beat Southern Pride 4-2 and Canterbury 8-0 to finish round robin play in first place. The Gettins sisters' brother, Josh Gettins, is one of four Hawke's Bay players in the Wellington men's team which has recorded two wins and two losses to date.

Te Rangi Chadwick and the Black Sox pair of Jovaan Hanley and Campbell Makea are also in the team which lost 11-8 to Auckland after a tie breaker inning and 11-7 to Canterbury on Thursday before beating Counties-Waikato 7-5 and North Harbour 5-1 yesterday.

The tournament ends tomorrow.

Meanwhile Hawke's Bay's representative men's team, the Central Vikings, have qualified for the semifinals in Wellington's premier men's intercity competition. They will play Porirua on March 5 when Poneke Kilbirnie will take on Hutt Valley Dodgers in the other semifinal.

Today's Hawke's Bay premier men's club competition matches at Akina Park, Hastings, will see defending champions Saints take on Maraenui Pumas and pre-Christmas champions Fast Pitch Giants take on Vikings.

Giants were unbeaten during the pre-Christmas comp but their loss to Pumas a fortnight ago is an indication the post-Christmas comp will be a lot tighter. Giants should be too strong for Vikings and Pumas could pip Saints.