Softball: Title ideal birthday present for Flaxmere pitcher

Flaxmere pitcher Tamihana Hokianga winds up during his team's 4-3 win against Saints in Hawke's Bay's premier men's pre-Christmas softball competition final on Saturday. Photo/Warren Buckland

Several punches of joy from Flaxmere premier men's softball team's pitcher Tamihana Hokianga into his catching glove told some of the story on Saturday.

"This is pretty mean. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present. I've lost count of how many times Saints have dominated me this season so it was good to dominate them in the game which counted," Hokianga said after Flaxmere pipped unbeaten top qualifiers Saints 4-3 in Hawke's Bay's pre-Christmas competition final at Akina Park, Hastings.

A former Saints player and a 2008 national title winner with the Hawke's Bay under-19 team, Hokianga, turned 28 on Saturday. The final was his second full game on the mound within six hours after he played in their 3-0 loss to Saints in the double life semifinal earlier in the day.

The brother of another of Flaxmere's regular pitchers, Rita Hokianga, who was unavailable because of her White Sox fixtures against the University of Oregon in Auckland at the weekend, was rested when Hector Stubbs had the pitching duties in Flaxmere's 5-3 win against Maraenui Pumas in their elimination semifinal. He agreed the ejection of club stalwart and Softball Hawke's Bay Association board member Luke Herrick for swearing in the fourth inning fired Flaxmere up.

"It was the spark I needed and it picked the whole team up."

Flaxmere were leading 1-0 when base umpire Jade McClutchie ejected Herrick for swearing after McClutchie called him out at first base.

"You want the respect of the players you have to earn it," Herrick yelled at McClutchie as he left the diamond and McClutchie reminded him about the zero tolerance policy to swearing.

"There haven't been any ejections for swearing all season and then the umpires come up with this on finals day. All we want is consistency," Herrick said afterwards.

Outfielder Herrick opened the scoring in the second inning when he got on base with a three-bagger and scored on a hit from third baseman Puhi Rapaea. Flaxmere took a 3-0 lead in the fourth when catcher Curtis Huata scored on a wild pitch and Rapaea smashed an automatic home run over the centre outfield fence.

A hit from Hokianga with bases loaded scored outfielder Dallas Brown in the sixth inning. Saints scored all of their runs during their final turn at bat.

Outfielder Tridan McClutchie scored when lead-off batter Brodie Boyce was walked when the bases were loaded. Boyce and Canadian outfielder Bryan Johnson scored on a hit from second baseman Adam Woon in another loaded bases situation.

With their loss Saints were denied a third consecutive pre-Christmas title.

"We didn't bring our bats today but it was pleasing we showed a bit of mongrel at the end," Saints player-coach Luke Woon said.

"We've set a few goals for the season including going to the club nationals and getting the post-Christmas title off Flaxmere. We have to come back from this and build ourselves up again," he added.

Rapaea batted 1000 for Flaxmere while Johnson and substitute batter Mace Price batted 1000 for Saints. Hokianga struck out six of the 33 Saints batters he faced while conceding five walks and eight safe hits.

Saints Canadian pitcher Kyle Crawford struck out 10 of the 32 batters he faced while conceding one walk and eight hits. Flaxmere player-coach Josh Gettins produced some outstanding defensive work at short stop as did his left outfielder Darryl Tamati jnr.