Matautia's bat does the talking for White Sox

Teenage outfielder Te Reo Powhiri Matautia isn't standing out at the world women's softball championships in Canada just because of her uniquely Kiwi name.

Matautia's bat is doing the talking. The White Sox rookie is leading the team's offence in Whitehorse, Yukon, and her batting form will be vital to securing a top-eight playoffs place.

The New Zealanders need to beat Italy this morning and Chinese Taipei tomorrow to qualify in fourth place from Section B after a 12-1 five-innings thrashing at host nation Canada's hands yesterday.

Matautia, 18, picked up two of the Kiwis' four safe hits against Canada and was fourth on the tournament batting charts yesterday with five hits from 12 at-bats for a .583 average.

It's been a long time since a New Zealander has featured that highly at a women's world championships - probably since the heyday of Canterbury great Rhonda Hira in the 1990s.

Matautia, of Mangere in south Auckland, batted strongly for the Junior White Sox at the world under-19 women's championships in Cape Town last December. Three of her five hits in Whitehorse have come against Canada, the 2010 world championships bronze medallists, and Australia, bronze medallists at the Beijing Olympics.

- © Fairfax NZ News