Softball: Sorenson expected back from injury

11.45am

Veteran Black Sox softball catcher Mark Sorenson is hoped to return from injury today but the news isn't so good for fellow gloveman Bevan Martin.

The pair threw dual injury scares into the New Zealand camp yesterday despite the team's 18-5 romp over The Netherlands to retain their unbeaten record at the world championships in Christchurch.

Sorenson withdrew on match eve yesterday with a back injury while Martin was involved in a heavy home plate collision with Netherlands batter Enio Kwas and also forced out.

The Black Sox play the Philippines at 5pm today and there was optimism over Sorenson's fitness.

"There's not a concern over Mark at all. The early feedback we've got on Mark is that he'll be back (today)," coach Don Tricker told the Dominion Post.

"Bevan went straight back to the hotel and the physio is working on him... he gave his knee a bit of a tweak."

The Black Sox were put under a little pressure for the first time in the world championships despite an eventually lopsided scoreline against the Netherlands.

For the third consecutive game the seven-run mercy rule was applied after five innings, but the Black Sox still wore a few battle scars at Smokefree Ballpark.

Up 6-0 after a big second inning the Black Sox conceded five runs from six hits in the bottom of the third when the Dutch went through their batting order.

The high point for Netherlands was when with two runners on base first baseman Sendley Reina hoisted a Jarrad Martin pitch over the centre-field stand alongside a "Black Sox rock" sign.

Tricker was forced to bring Michael Gaiger on as relief pitcher for Martin rather earlier than he might have intended.

Pitching in the tournament for the first time, Gaiger struck out the next two batters to end the danger, but got into trouble himself in the fourth inning when Netherlands loaded the bases.

New Zealand made sure of the win with a seven-run splurge in the fourth frame and piled on five more in the fifth.

There should have been one more New Zealand run in the fifth after a Thomas Makea hit easily cleared the centre-field fence with two runners on.

It was Makea's fourth hit in as many trips to the plate, but the automatic home run was ruled out when he overtook base runner Hale.

Rona and Makea both collected four RBIs (runs batted in) and Hale three.

While New Zealand have a 4-0 record at the tournament the Dutch are 1-3 with little chance of qualifying for the top-eight playoffs beginning on Friday.

Four teams will qualify from each pool with the top two from each enjoying two lives in the page system play-offs.

- NZPA


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