Giants snatch Hutt title

Masterton-based Giants outgunned Hutt City United 5-1 in a stunning performance in the grand final of the Hutt Valley premier league men's softball competition at Petone on Saturday.
It was the second time in three seasons Giants had beaten HCU for the Hutt Valley title but making this effort perhaps even more meaningful than that of 2006 was that it came just a week after HCU had won the Inter-City series,played between the top Wellington and Hutt Valley club sides.
Giants had earlier been eliminated at the semi-final stage there, still a meritorious result considering it was the first season they had managed to break into the top six.
It wasn't only their Inter-City success which had HCU going into Saturday's match as firm favourites either.Twice in previous clashes this season they had beaten Giants and it was hardly surprising then that most pundits were predicting another HCU victory.
The need for a strong start to help take the wind out of the HCU's sails was stressed by Giants management in pre-game discussions and they got exactly what they were looking for.
HCU had first turn at bat and Giants pitcher Ritchie Clarke, fresh from a superb exhibition in the 8-0 semi-final win over Hutt Valley Marist on Thursday night, recorded three successive strike outs, an effort which became even more valuable for Giants when Corie Karaitiana hammered a home run in their first innings to give them an early 1-0 advantage.
A run to HCU in the second innings levelled the scores at 1-1 and it stayed that way until Giants increased their run tally to five in a memorable fifth innings, thanks to what is known as as a "grand slam". They had Corie Karaitiana, Michael Grant and Ryan Shannahan on base when Mark Quinn stepped into the batter's box and smacked a timely home run.
Up 5-1 with HCU having only two more turns at bat the emphasis then for Giants was on ensuring their opposition was kept on the back foot and a combination of Clarke's consistent pitching and outstanding work in the field achieved that objective.
Giants coach Tony Nixon was "absolutely rapt" at the manner in which Giants maintained sustained pressure on a HCU line-up with the pitching and batting skills to cut loose at any time.
"We always had it in the back of our minds that one slip up could see them punish us big time," he said.
Nixon was understandably fulsome in his praise of Clarke's pitching. "Ritchie had a gem of a game, he got on top of their batters from the start and just kept going," he said. "He only gave up the two safe hits all game and that's something special against a side of their calibre."
Pleasing too for Nixon was the aggressive stance his batters took against a powerful HCU pitching staff and the accuracy of his side in the field, a department in which Terry Waitere, Blair Thompson and Justin Karaitiana all made crucial plays.
Reflecting on what has been a remarkably satisfying 2008 club season for Giants, Nixon said the willingness of players and support staff to put in the "hard yards", both on and off the field of play,was a vital ingredient in their success.
"They are a very dedicated bunch of people, the team culture is all about loyalty and supporting one another and they've never put a foot wrong in that respect," he said.
The national club championships to be played in the Hutt Valley in just over a week's time are the final big assignment for Giants for the 2008 season and Nixon is adamant they are not without a chance of filling a major placing there as well.
"We're not going there for a holiday, we really do believe that if we can play to our potential consistently we could go close&&very; close," he said.