Softball: Pumas first baseman shakes off glares with winning run

Flaxmere pitcher Rita Hokianga shone on the mound and with the bat in her side's loss. Photo/Warren Buckland

Manaaki Aranui got a couple of glares from his older brother Karaitiana after some uncharacteristic fielding errors during the feature Hawke's Bay premier men's softball game on Saturday.

But those looks were replaced by elation when Maraenui Pumas first baseman Aranui, with two down in the bottom of the seventh inning, hit centre outfielder Jason Kelleher home for the winning run in a 4-3 victory against Flaxmere at Akina Park, Hastings.

"I know I got the eye from Karaitiana when I made those mistakes. So it was good to hit the winning run. It was a pretty mean game ... the best of the season," Aranui said.

The 18-year-old, who is in his fourth season of premier ball, said his side was eager to maintain their unbeaten run.

"We want to be top qualifiers for the pre-Christmas comp's semifinals. I was happy with my hitting ... I was seeing the ball.

"Obviously you have to adjust a little bit for Rita," he added, referring to Flaxmere's White Sox pitcher Rita Hokianga, who is allowed to pitch from the women's distance on the mound despite playing in the men's comp.

Aranui, who played for the Napier Boys' High School 1st XV rugby side this year, got on base with three of his four turns at bat.

Defending champions Flaxmere, who slipped to third with the loss, opened the scoring in the second inning when first baseman Alyssa James, one of three women in the team, slid home. They took a 2-0 lead in the third when centre outfielder Dallas Brown hit short stop and lead off batter Curtis Huata home.

Pumas took a 3-2 lead in the third inning. Lead off batter and short stop Kupa Isherwood and Kelleher both came home on errors and Aranui scored on a two bagger from pitcher Kristen Munro.

Both teams produced tight defensive work until Hokianga tied the game up in the top of the sixth when she hit third baseman Matthew Pearce home. On the mound Hokianga took 11 strikeouts while conceding five hits and five walks.

Winning pitcher Munro, the 2014 Wairoa Sportsperson of the Year award winner, took 13 strikeouts while conceding eight hits and two walks. For those in the crowd who may have been confused about Munro's first name because his teammates kept calling him Fraser read on.

His real name is Kristen but he boasts the nickname Fraser as he hails from Frasertown.

In the other premier game Fast Pitch moved into second place on the points table with a 11-0 drubbing of winless Saints. The match ended in the bottom of the fourth inning courtesy of the mercy rule.

Second baseman Liam Udy-Johns, who captained the Hastings Boys' High School 1st XV rugby side this year, and third baseman Ashton Guy both hit in-park home runs for Fast Pitch with runners on base. Fast Pitch coach Quentin Chadwick was thrilled with the manner in which his young side continued the form which saw them win the Palmerston North-hosted Kingswood Tournament at Labour Weekend.

In Palmy his team recorded seven wins and one loss and beat Huia Chiefs 9-1 in the final.