Canterbury claim women’s NPC title in comprehensive fashion - NZ

[Al Doran]

Date: Thu, 05 Jan 2006 20:48:10 +1300
From: Vance <vance at vanf-graphics.co.nz>
Subject: Canterbury claim women’s NPC title in
  comprehensive fashi



Canterbury claim women’s NPC title in comprehensive fashion
Thursday January 5th 2006

In their first attempt at the New Zealand Community Trust Women’s National 
Provincial Cup title Canterbury have come out on top winning the final 
today 8-1 over Auckland.

It was a convincing win coming in just five inning as the Canterbury 
hitters went on the attack in the final and Auckland had few answers. The 
NPC this season is the first time Canterbury have entered the tournament 
which has been running since 2002 in the current format.

The winning of the game came in the fifth inning when Canterbury scored six 
runs to take the victory in five innings with the mercy rule invoked as 
Canterbury held a seven run advantage.

Up until the fifth inning the final had been a tight game with Canterbury 
only holding a one run advantage. However in the fifth inning the 
Canterbury hitters went into overdrive smashing Auckland out of the game.

Victorious Canterbury coach Todd Grego believes his side saved their best 
performance for the final where everything “clicked”.

“It was a tight game until the fifth inning and then the girls went crazy 
with the bat. Going into the final the girls knew what was expected of them 
and they delivered,” said Grego.

Going into the final Grego says within the team there was an element of 
payback for Canterbury after they were beaten by Auckland a day earlier in 
a top four playoff game.

“We lost to Auckland 4-3 in a top four playoff match so we saw the final as 
a bit of a rematch, we though we owed them.”

Canterbury always held the advantage in the game after lead off hitter Nic 
Pouaka-Grego scored in the first inning. Auckland levelled the scores in 
the top of the second inning when Kyla Bromhead scored but Canterbury hit 
right back scoring in the bottom of the second inning via Brooke Lockhart.

The score remained at 2-1 in Canterbury’s favour until the fifth inning 
when the game was won for Canterbury with Carmelle Sorenson, Nic 
Pouaka-Grego, Shar Mitchell, Sheree Cartwright, Te Awhina Hewer and Brooke 
Lockhart all crossing home plate.

While the hitters came to life in the fifth inning for Canterbury pitcher 
Katie Newman was in control of the game from the start for the southern 
team. Newman faced 20 batters giving up four hits and one walk while taking 
two strikeouts.

Pitcher Carina Hale started the game for Auckland and was doing well until 
the fifth inning. Hale faced 25 batters giving up 10 hits and two walks 
while taking four strikeouts. Emily Pateras replaced Hale in the fifth 
inning but by then it was too late, Pateras faced two batters giving up one 
hit.

Canterbury booked their place in the final yesterday when they picked up 
three wins in the to four playoffs series. Auckland secured their place in 
the final this morning with a 3-0 defeat of Hawkes Bay.

Day 4 Results – Auckland 3 Hawkes Bay 0, Rotorua 13 Waikato 5, Southland 3 
Hutt Valley 2, Wellington 8 Tamaki Makaurau 6, Counties Manukau 3 Hawkes 
Bay 2, Waikato 4 Western Bay of Plenty 3, Rotorua 11 Western Bay of Plenty 4.

Final – Canterbury 8 Auckland 1 (five innings).

Final Placings – 1 Canterbury, 2 Auckland, 3 Counties Manukau, 4 Hawkes 
Bay, 5 Southland, 6 Hutt Valley, 7 Wellington, 8 Tamaki Makaurau, 9 
Rotorua, 10 Waikato, 11 Western Bay of Plenty.

Tournament Top Batter – Lynda Luke (Waikato), average .533 Tournament Top 
Pitcher – Katie Newman (Canterbury), era 0.49 Tournament MVP – Michelle 
Kingi (Counties Manukau).


By SNZ Media Liaison: Kelly Mitchell
*  mailto:kelly.mitchell at xtra.co.nz

http://www.softball.org.nz/
* mailto:snz at softball.org.nz


Cheers Vance
Softball New Zealand web master.
*   mailto:vance at vanf-graphics.co.nz

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