Softball umpire defends rulings

Softball New Zealand chief umpire Wayne Saunders "strongly supported" his game officials over controversial illegal pitching calls which marred the national interclub men's softball open semifinal.

Canterbury champions PCU Devils beat three-time defending champions Ramblers (Auckland) 4-2 on Saturday in an eighth inning tiebreaker after two illegal pitch judgments against Rambler's Australian import Andrew Kirkpatrick.

The crucial calls were made by Nicola Ogier at third base – to the evident ire of the Ramblers' dugout.

Ramblers' player-coach Donny Hale, who had been hoping to win a record-equalling fourth consecutive national title, said he supported the umpires' crackdown on illegal pitching, but queried the timing of the controversial calls.

"Why not call it from the get-go rather than till right at the end with loaded bases in the tiebreaker?" he said.

PCU scored a couple of runs off the bat when Brad Annandale steered a controlled hit past Nathan Nukunuku at shortstop. But the illegal pitch calls led to one run.

Hale, a longtime Black Sox international, felt Kirkpatrick, who took 17 strikeouts, was not pitching any differently to PCU hurler Regan Manley.

Saunders said Kirkpatrick was called for "stepping forward with his front foot".

He said two base umpires, including Ogier, had called illegal pitches against him earlier in the game.

- © Fairfax NZ News