Bell Block Men applied the heat early
and never let up before claiming a convincing
15-5 win against Marist in a Taranaki softball men's game at Bell Block on Saturday.
BelI Block's first batter Aidan Prestney led the way, hitting a home run and helping his team to an early
lead. When Bell Block's Sam Sutherland
landed a home run in the third innings his team moved eight runs up.Marist struggled and it wasn't until its last turn at bat that it scored all five
of its runs, including a home run by Jahvan Cassidy.Prestney also did his job on the
mound, pitching a nice curved and
spinning ball that regularly put the ball
in the air for his fielders to claim outs.
In its second game of the day, Bell
Block men headed off Te Atiawa L2-5.
Bell Block again shone with the bat,
Isaac Hekenui and Anthony Kipa
getting home runs and team-mates also
putting some good hits to the field.
In reply, Te Atiawa's Harley Brown
got away a home run at his first turn of
bat, but further runs were hard to come
by with Bell Block's Anthony Kipa
doing a good job on the mound. He
picked up five strikeouts and a double
play in the second innings with two
runners on base to keep the scoring
rate down to just one mn an innings.
Bell Block Women capped an
unbeaten day for the club when
proving too strong for New Plymouth
Girls' High School, winning 14-2.
Bell Block Women were up five runs
by the end of the opening innings, ar{ed
by numerous fielding errors by Girls'
High. Further errors in the second
innings put BeIl Block eight runs in
front, while the school side went
scoreless until the third when it scored
its only two runs of the match.
Bell Block Women kept their infield
tight with Lalaina Bristowe giving up
only four hits to the field and having a
solid day on the mound.
Marama Witehira and Tereina
Lichtwark were the top batters for Bell
Block Women, both batting in three of
their team-mates.
Waitara Women defaulted to
Spotswood United in the other
scheduled match of the round.