by TONY SMITH
Wairarapa softball products Blair Thompson and Danny Brown starred as the Hutt Valley Dodgers clinched their third national interclub men’s softball title.
Thompson blasted a second inning solo shot home run and Brown batted in two runs in the seventh frame during the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over six-time champions Ramblers in Sunday’s grand final in Nelson.
It was the Dodgers’ first win since 2013 and victory was sweet for coaches Steve Deans and Trevor Evans, who played in the Dodgers’ first title triumph in Christchurch in 2010.
Black Sox hurler Nik Hayes won the top pitcher and most valuable player awards after throwing Hutt Valley Dodgers to their third national interclub title in Nelson on Sunday.
The winning squad contained a clutch of Hutt Valley softball stalwarts, led by Black Sox stars Nik Hayes (pitcher) and Joel Evans (shortstop), who celebrated his fourth national title after winning first with Hutt City United in 2006.
The Dodgers camp hailed Hayes, who won the tournament top pitcher and most valuable player awards for his dominance on the pitching mound and some timely hits with the bat.
“Nik did really well for us,” captain Joel Evans said. “He pitched something ridiculous, like 68 innings, this week.”
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