Hutt Valley Dodgers through to semis but Miramar miss out

Black Sox outfielder Rhys Casley clouted two home runs to carry Hutt Valley Dodgers into today's semifinals at the national interclub men's softball championships in Christchurch.

But Dodgers will be the Wellington region's only representatives in the final four after Wellington champions Miramar crashed to two losses yesterday in post-section play at the NZCT men's open tournament.

Dodgers, with pitcher Jeremy Manley in red-hot form, will play Auckland's Waitakere Bears in one semifinal with another Auckland side, Ramblers, clashing with PCU Devils, the Canterbury champions.

Dodgers, who thrashed Miramar 8-0 on Thursday night with Manley throwing a no-hitter, hitting a home run and registering a perfect 1.000 batting average, needed to beat Canterbury's Richmond Keas 7-2 yesterday afternoon to clinch their top-four berth.

They made no race of it with Casley clobbering an early home run as Brad Baker's Dodgers side leapt out to 4-0 lead.

Richmond staged a brief revival but Manley put the brakes on with another imposing game on the mound. He grabbed 11 strikeouts and restricted Richmond to three hits.

Richmond had earlier ended Miramar's hopes with a 7-4 win highlighted by a three-run homer from player-coach Aaron Risdon. Wayne Laulu, the tournament's top batter after the first three days, had three hits for Miramar.

PCU Devils' Black Sox star Daniel Milne blasted three home runs in two games yesterday at Mainland Foundation Ballpark to take his tournament tally to five.

PCU suffered their first loss when they tumbled 5-3 to the Waitakere Bears yesterday morning. They were under the cosh from the first inning when Bears leadoff batter Casey Eden and Black Sox catcher Patrick Shannon hammered home runs.

Devils coach Ted Forrester was unfazed by the defeat and had faith in his troops to recover from the setback. He was rewarded in fine style when the Devils demolished Auckland United 11-0.

PCU, who have won 26 Canterbury titles since the early 1970s, are chasing their third national title. They could also deliver a double by making Forrester the first Canterbury coach to win national provincial (in 1996-97) and interclub elite titles.

Forrester agreed Regan Manley's signing had given PCU the strike pitcher they have craved since Michael Gaiger wound down his career.

Waitakere Bears topped section B after a 2-0 eight-hit win over Hutt Valley Marist.

Ramblers and Dodgers both rested key players, including their pitching aces, in the section A decider.

Poneke-Kilbirnie are favoured to win the middle-eight section after crushing Porirua City United 20-1 and Papanui Tigers 9-0.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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