Different kind of win for Giants over Cardinals

It was one of numerous close games they have had this season but there was still something pleasingly different about Giants's 6-5 win over Cardinals in their Inter-City series men's softball match at Fraser Park, Petone on Saturday.
Slow starts have been a disconcerting factor about Giants's performances all season but on this occasion they actually started strongly and led from go to whoa.
"It made a nice change to be in front and have them (Cardinals) chasing & it's a lot easier on the nerves I can tell you," Giants coach Tony Nixon said.
Giants took a 2-0 lead at their first turn at bat when Corie Karaitiana and Michael Grant got on base and were batted in by a strong drive from the bat of Justin Karaitiana.
Cardinals narrowed the margin to one run in the second innings but a home run to the in-form Grant took Giants to a 3-1 advantage in the third.
The fifth innings saw Cardinals cut the lead again to 3-2 before Blair Thompson hit home Grant and Mark Quinn and Justin Karaitiana did likewise for Thompson to put Giants in front by a decisive 6-2.
The pressure was now squarely on Cardinals to make up the lost ground over the last two innings and they responded well to pick up three runs in the sixth to yet again make it a one-run ball game.
However, Giants kept them scoreless in the seventh and victory was theirs.
Close though the final result was Nixon said he was always confident his side had matters under control.
"It was one of those games where you always had the feeling we would come out on top," he said.
Nixon praised his side for what he labelled "a very solid all-round effort" with some consistent batting being complemented by equally consistent pitching from Justin Karaitiana and smart work in the field.
Leading the way in the fielding department were catcher Grant, the Canadian who has also made such a huge impact with the bat all season, and Terry Waitere who filled in at short stop for the unavailable Ryan Shannahan and never put a foot wrong.
Giants were already guaranteed a semi-final spot for the first time ever in the Inter-City series competed for by the top club sides in Wellington and Hutt Valley going into Saturday's game and the win left them as top seeds going into that phase of the competition.
It's a situation which Nixon agrees is a definite feather in the cap for his side but he is also quick to emphasise that once the semi-finals commence it's back to level pegging for all four participants.
"Winning the preliminary round is certainly a good feeling but it won't count for anything in the semis. We can't afford any lapses there, none at all," he said.
Just who Giants will face the semis could not be confirmed last night with Hutt City, Poneke-Kilbirnie, Miramar and Porirua still having preliminary round matches which could alter their seedings to play.