Power hitting by their batters, including a five-run blast in the third inning, and a dominant pitching display by Te Ate Walker saw Waikato’s Marlinz to take out the Kotahitanga Fastpitch men’s softball title on Saturday.
Marlinz beat Ngati Kahu Braves, from Rotorua, 11-0 in the final at Resthills Park after downing Manurewa Mets 8-5 in the semifinal earlier in the day. The Braves had come off a marathon 10-inning semi against Fairfield OU which they won 5-4.
Marlinz outhit the Braves 8-2 and wrapped up the victory in the space of just four innings.
The home side were 4-0 up going into the top of the third but automatic home runs from the bats of Carlos Kohu-Martin, who had two hits in the game, and Brendon Rogers had them out to 9-0 and another two runs in the fourth saw the contest ended early by the mercy rule.
Walker faced 17 batters and took five strikeouts, while giving up just two hits and two walks. Kohu-Martin also collected three hits for Marlinz in their semifinal victory.
Things did not go Marlinz’ way in the women’s final where they were beaten 5-1 by Papakura Royals, who had earlier squeezed past Melville 1-0 in the semifinals by hitting the winning run in the seventh inning.
Marlinz had blanked Manurewa Mets 10-0 earlier in the semifinals with 12 hits to none but let the Royals get off to a 4-0 start in the first inning of the final and were never able to haul it back.
Jordan-Leigh Koni got two of Royals’ five hits and, on the pitching mound, allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out 14 of the 25 batters she faced.
2010-11 TROPHIES
Top batter: men – Hohepa Monk (Fairfield OU); women – Tyler Downs (Melville);
Most RBIs: men – Hohepa Monk (Fairfield OU).women – Lynda Luke (Marlinz);
Top pitcher: men – Andy Lee (TC Stealers). women – Jordan-Leigh Koni (Royals);
Most valuable player: men – Hohepa Monk (Fairfield OU); women – Lynda Luke (Marlinz);