Softball: Black Sox fall to Argentina

Thomas Enoka.

The Black Sox softball team have been knocked out in the semifinal stages of the Hill United Shootout in Ontario, Canada, losing 5-1 to the Argentine national team.

Argentina jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning with an automatic home-run with a runner on base. This feat was repeated in the fifth inning with another Argentine two run automatic home-run to put the score out to 4-0. The Argentines continued to consistently hit the Black Sox pitching accumulating another run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lead 5-0.

Thomas Enoka the best of the Black Sox hitters throughout the weekend pulled one back for the Black Sox in the top of the seventh inning with a big automatic home-run over centre field off the very strong Argentine pitching.

Argentina will play the powerful Hill United team, who beat the Black Sox 8-7 on Friday night in the final.

Earlier in the day the Black Sox won their quarter-final 10-8 after staging a comeback against local champions, the Niagara All Stars.

The Black Sox looked comfortable with a 3-0 at the top of the sixth inning, courtesy of an automatic home run to Captain Nathan Nukunuku. But the visitors were rocked by the local side, spurred on by their partisan supporters smashing eight runs, including three out of the park home runs.

A three run automatic home run to Wayne Laulu helped the Black Sox while Canterbury outfielder Josh Thomson scored the winning run when his Canterbury teammate Stephen Ratu continued his impressive form with the bat at the tournament, hitting a large automatic home run over centre field to win the game 10-8.

The Black Sox now have a record of four wins, one draw and two losses on the tour and move to Saskatoon, the venue of the 2015 World Championship to play exhibition games and finish their North American tour with a tournament in Calgary the following weekend.