Softball: Black Sox batter Aussies

UPDATE - 9.00pm


BLACK SOX 9 AUSTRALIA 2

Australia were devastated by a Black Sox batting blitzkrieg in the first inning of the clash between the trans-tasman rivals at the world softball championships here today.

Led by veteran catcher Mark Sorenson, who picked up his first two hits of the series, the Black Sox thrashed Australia, 9-2, with the seven-run mercy rule invoked after just five innings.

Australia -- who have beaten New Zealand just once at international level -- set the Black Sox a challenge by advancing on the Kiwis' pre-match haka.

But the world champions got off to a dream start, scoring five runs in the top of the first inning with Dion Nukunuku, Stacy McLean, Sorenson, Thomas Makea, Donny Hale and Nathan Nukunuku strung together safe hits.

Black Sox coach Don Tricker hailed his team's blazing beginning.

"Clearly we started really well and I think we took our performance to a different level today than what you'd seen over the first couple of days, and that was primarily out of respect for the Australian team," he said.

"We knew we had to come out and play to our capability to compete with them.

"I don't think it was easy. We jumped out and we executed and scored a bunch of runs, but it was still a tough game."

Australian coach Bob Harrow -- who said he was never confident of winning "when they have a batting line-up like that" -- was forced to withdraw starting pitcher Neal Delpero after he had faced only five batters.

Reliever Deon Trail failed to stem the tide, conceding six hits in one-and-a-half innings on the mound.

The Black Sox followed their first inning frenzy with four runs in the second frame, with Sorenson batting in Dion Nukunuku.

Makea had the crowd on their feet when he crashed an automatic home run over the right-field fence to also score skipper Jarrad Martin and Sorenson.

That prompted Harrow to make a second pitching change, replacing Trail with Adam Humble, who gave up a hit to the first batter he faced, Hale.

But the Western Australian hurler settled down to shut out the Black Sox thereafter. He yielded only one more hit to No 9 batter Nathan Nukunuku, who batted 1.000.

Harrow chose not to use either of his top two pitchers -- 19-year-old left-hander Andrew Kirkpatrick, who played in right field, or Kris Kiefel, who filled the designated player spot. He admitted he was conserving them for later in the tournament because of the tough schedule of games in Pool A.

Sorenson was relieved to get his first hits of the tournament after struggling with his hitting rhythm in the opening games against Samoa and South Africa.

"I hadn't been feeling totally comfortable, but I certainly felt a lot better at the plate today," he said.

"I probably had a little more mental application. I'd been a little bit lax and making some soft outs previously.

"I was just trying to get good solid contact on the ball and hit it hard and flat."

The Hutt Valley catcher -- performing at a record-equalling sixth world series -- has long been New Zealand's top batter. But playing alongside Martin, Makea and Hale in the middle order, has taken the pressure off him.

"It was a huge boost of confidence for me in the first inning when Jarrad, who going by our last game was one of our hotter hitters, was called to sacrifice bunt, and he put the bunt down.

"What that shows is he and Don have the confidence in me to come forward and get the hit there."

Sorenson repaid their faith by cracking a hit to right centre-field to score New Zealand's first two runs. The former Black Sox skipper collected three RBIs (runs batted in).

Harrow took some consolation from Humble's gutsy relief pitching display and Australia's two-run comeback in the bottom of the third inning.

First baseman Michael Tanner led off with a single to right-field, and shortstop Justin Golds made base from a fielder's choice. Catcher Mike Harrow punched a hit to centre-field and both he and Golds scampered home on a rare fielding error from Makea.

New Zealand out-batted Australia 11 hits to four with Sorenson, both Nukunuku brothers (Deon and Nathan), and Hale, who also had a perfect 1.000 batting average, each collecting two hits.

Black Sox pitcher Jimmy Wana struck out seven of the 22 batters he faced.

Tricker indicated Michael Gaiger, the only Black Sox squad member yet to take the diamond, would be back in the pitching roster tomorrow against the Netherlands after recovering from a leg injury.

WORLD SOFTBALL CHAMPS RESULTS

United States 7 Hong Kong 0, Czech Republic 1 Botswana 0, Venezuela 8 Philippines 1, New Zealand 9 Australia 2, Samoa 3 Canada 1.

Playing tonight: Argentina v Great Britain.

- Newstalk ZB and NZPA