Baseball: Australians bring Kiwis back to earth

Dakota Ruta puts his all into batting at the Oceania Championships opening game against Guam. Photo / Greg Bowker

It was always going to be an uphill battle, but New Zealand found out yesterday just how tough their task will be as they aim to qualify for the under-16 world baseball championships.

New Zealand began their campaign well enough, trouncing Guam 14-3 in the opening game of the Oceania Championships at Auckland's Lloyd Elsmore Baseball Park.

But the Kiwis weren't able to step it up for their match against Australia, going down 11-0 in just five innings.

Ranked fifth in the world at this level, the Australians appear to be bigger, stronger, faster and more skilled than their New Zealand counterparts.

Given the status of the sport - Australia regularly produces Major League players while New Zealand has never done so - that is no surprise.

But after some impressive transtasman results at other levels, the Kiwis would have been hopeful of denting an Australian side that has an undefeated record at the Oceania tournament dating back to 2003.

Those hopes lasted until about mid-way through the first inning, when the New Zealand side coughed up two errors and conceded six runs.

Australia tacked on two more runs in the second inning - one in the third and another two in the fourth. With the Kiwis mustering just two hits and unable to trouble the scoreboard, the match was called in the fifth inning under baseball's mercy rule.

It was a different story against Guam, with New Zealand notching up an impressive win.

The United States-ruled Pacific territory loaded the bases with one out in the first inning but New Zealand pitcher Dillon Constant struck out consecutive batters to end the threat.

The Kiwis hit the front with one run in the second inning, added two more in the third and then blew the game open with seven in the fourth.

Second baseman Mitchell James went 2-3 with a double, driving in three runs and scoring four. James was also hit by pitches twice and stole a base to round out an eventful match.

Shortstop Lewis Jerard went 3-4 with two RBI, a double and two runs.

Constant was solid through five innings, giving up three earned runs through three hits and two walks while striking out three.

Hamish Witters pitched two innings of scoreless relief, striking out two while not giving up a hit.

The triple round-robin tournament runs until Friday.