Girls' High top guns in softball

New Plymouth Girls' High School had plenty to celebrate when it won the Taranaki women's softball title at Bell Block's Hickford Park on Saturday.

It was a tense and tight finish to the season, with the schoolgirls edging out Bell Block Women 8-7.

In the men's final, Bell Block Crowded House pipped Spotswood United 14-13.

Girls' High took the early lead in the women's final with two runs and kept Bell Block scoreless until its third turn at bat when the scores were evened up.

Bell Block led by two by the fifth innings before Girls' High came back in the sixth to go one up, but back came Bell Block in the sixth to again take the lead by one.

At its final turn at bat, Bell Block was again kept scoreless leaving Girls' High needing two runs to take the title. Tiana Matthews scored after hitting a two-base hit followed by a hit by team-mate Erin Benton and, with one out, Ania Prestney came up to bat. With two strikes on her, she hit a two-base hit to score the required run.

Bell Block had a bad day in the field clocking up a total of 10 fielding errors opposed to only two and was only able to get nine hits to the field. Girls' High managed eight hits, but exercised some great base running.

Matthews did a good job on the mound with five strikeouts and restricted most of the hits to just one base. Allana Prestney for Bell Block also had a good day on the mound with six strikeouts and conceded only eight hits.

Runs were hard to come by in the early part of the men's final and, by the second innings, both teams had only one run on the board.

Bell Block took the lead by three in the third innings and maintained that lead until the fourth. Spotswood discovered some great form in the fifth getting away some well placed hits to take the lead by two and extended the lead by one more in the sixth innings.

Spotswood was then shut down in the seventh, leaving Bell Block needing two runs to win the game.

Again the top batters for Bell Block did the job, with Tony Ward getting on base followed by Tobyn Hore leaving Kerry Simeon the task to bat them in. He did just that and also took out the top batter award for the season.

Both pitchers had a big day on the mound, Louie Swanell for Spotswood giving up 14 hits and six strikeouts and Murray Takarangi for Bell Block giving up 10 hits and 10 strikeouts.

Women's prizes: Top batter, pitcher and most Ks by a pitcher, Allana Prestney; most home runs, Kelly Poa; most RBIs, Jamie Wynyard; most stolen bases, Marika Allen (all from Bell Block).

Men's prizes: Top batter, Kerry Simeon; top pitcher, Isaac Hekenui; most Ks by a pitcher, Murray Takarangi; most stolen bases, Taani Prestney, Aidan Prestney and Sam Sutherland; most RBI's, Anthony Kipa; most home runs, Isaac Hekenui (all from Bell Block).

Team awards: Best dressed men and women, Spotswood United; most sporting team, Bell Block Crowded House; most improved team, Spotswood United Men.

- © Fairfax NZ News