Softball: Saints go on run roll against Maraenui

Maraenui Pumas catcher Callum Carson (left) tags out Saints runner Jesse Little in Saints' 12-4 win on Saturday.

Saints premier men's softball coach Paul Woon can be a hard man to please.

It's a reflection of the high standards he has set for himself as well as the Saints, Hawke's Bay age group and Hastings Boys' High School teams he has coached in recent seasons. However Woon had an impressive grin on Saturday which was justified.

Two of his sons, 15-year-old Adam and 21-year-old Luke, smashed consecutive automatic home runs over the centre outfield fence on diamond two at Akina Park, Hastings during the first inning of Saints five-inning 14-2 drubbing of Maraenui Pumas. Second baseman Adam, the "baby" of the team finished with three hits from four turns at bat while centre outfielder Luke collected two hits from three turns.

Experienced short stop Jesse Little also hit an automatic over the centre outfield fence for unbeaten Saints during their final turn at bat. Eight runs during their third turn at bat was the key to Saints drubbing.

Junior Black Sox utility Tiwana Aranui smashed the only homer for Pumas, also an automatic over the centre outfield fence, in the bottom of the fourth. His team had B grade hurler Carl Steffert on the mound against Saints but the Pumas are expected to be more competitive once an imported pitcher from Canada arrives next week.

Black Sox pitching legend and four-time world champion Chubb Tangaroa was another happy coach after his Fast Pitch Rockets side, which is dominated by 14 and 15-year-olds, were pipped 12-9 by the other unbeaten team Fast Pitch Giants.

"In our post-game chat I told the boys you belong here in this grade. Now you just have to keep working on your self belief," Tangaroa said.

His youngsters led 3-0 after their first turn at bat. Pitcher Tridan McClutchie hit an automatic home run for the Rockets and his catcher Paora Thomas hit an in-park home run off the pitching of Kane Herbert.

Herbert's older brother and former Junior Black Sox utility Mario Herbert and left outfielder Giovani Matairangi both produced automatic home runs.

The Hawke's Bay-based Hutt Valley Dodgers began their defence of Wellington's intercity premier women's title with a 6-0 win against Hutt Valley Saints and 5-4 loss to Te Aroha on Saturday. Centre outfielder Jodi Petersen collected three hits from four turns at bat against Saints while right outfielder Anne Waapu collected two hits in both games.

Against Te Aroha Dodgers were 4-1 down going into the sixth inning and tied the score at 4-all before conceding the winning run in the seventh. "Errors at vital times were costly against Te Aroha," Dodgers coach Kevin Gettins said.

This weekend Dodgers play the three-day Waitakere Bears Classic in Auckland.