Australia 10 v. Indonesia 0
Australia again showed that they will be the team to beat in their section at the 2013 TradeStaff World Softball Championships when they beat Indonesia 10-0 in four innings.
Among the standout players for Australia were Andrew Kirkpatrick and Zenon Winters. Kirkpatrick, who was the designated player, batted three for three and had a hand in five of his side’s 10 runs. He also scored one himself.
Winters finished the game with two hits from his three turns at bat.
Adam Humble started the game for Australia and struck out all six batters he faced. His replacement on the mound, Kirkpatrick faced only seven batters of which he struck out six.
Samoa 3 v. USA 1
It will take a lot for Zane Siolo to forget how he celebrated his 19th birthday – starting pitcher for the Samoan softball team and a win over the United States at the 2013 TradeStaff World Championships.
“Beating the US on your 19th birthday is a pretty mean feat,” Samoa coach Chris Kohlhase said.
“We are taking him out to dinner tonight and I am sure there will be huge smiles around the dinner table.”
Siolo faced 19 batters, gave up three hits and had four strikeouts.
For Kohlhase to be two for two is pleasing.
“I don’t know about exceeded, but it is a very good place to be in,” Kohlhase said.
“The US are very strong and I just think we caught them early in the tournament. They will get better from this.
“I am very happy to be where we are at the moment.”
Kohlhase has every reason to be happy as his side showed plenty of determination having conceded an early run to the USA when lead-off batter Adam Lalonde scored on a dubious call at home plate. It looked as if Samoa catcher Duane Jerard had made the tag at the plate only for the umpire Mark McFarlane to call him safe.
“The boys were pretty wound up about that, but they took their emotions into the bat and hit the ball quite hard.”
Those that punished the US pitcher Gerald Muizelaar included Gerard Long, Gene Robinson and Jerard, who scored for Samoa.
Long was especially punishing to Muizelaar, collecting two hits from his three turns at bat. Also picking up two hits was Tony Niu. His first hit scoring Robinson for the go-ahead run in the third inning.
The two wins also means Kohlhase’s side is on track.
“Our ambition is to make the top four and if we happen to make top two that is a bonus.”
“There are a lot of good teams that we have to come up to before then though.”
Samoa will tomorrow play Indonesia, who are looking for their first win of the tournament. The United States face South Africa in what must be a crucial game. Both sides have yet to record a win and a third loss at the tournament will make their hopes of reaching the play-offs that much harder.
Czech Republic 8 v. South Africa 1
The Czech Republic continued their perfect run at the world softball championships when they beat South Africa 8-1 in five innings at Rosedale Park.
For the Czech Republic side Lukas Holub, Patrick Kolkus and Vaclav Svoboda were the chief destroyers. Holub hit a grand slam home run – the first of the tournament – in the third inning while Kolkus had two hits from three turns at bat and Svoboda batted in two of his team-mates.
New Zealand 4 v. Colombia 0
The Black Sox warmed up for their first real test at the 2013 TradeStaff World Championship with a 4-0 win over Colombia at Rosedale Park.
The runs for the Black Sox came in the first and third inning with Tyson Byrne, showing no effects of last night’s concussion which he got during the haka. Then in the third Brad Rona, who was walked to first, scored on a hit from Ben Enoka.
Then with two outs Patrick Shannon stepped up to the plate and the first pitch he faced he put it over the left field fence which also scored Enoka.
The side tomorrow faces Japan in what is the first of three tough games.
“We will need to bring our A-game,” coach Eddie Kohlhase said.
“The strategy was to get past our first two games and aiming at the next three as being the end of our pool play with the last two a quarter final situation.”
“By the end of these three we will know where we are at and the whole phase has been to get guys ready for that semifinal situation.”
Japan will be tough.
“They are a wirily bunch, they do not show too much and they will come out tomorrow and i would suggest to have a real crack at New Zealand.
There were some pleasing aspects of the win.
“It was another no hitter for our battery,” Kohlhase said.
That battery saw Penese Iosefo start the game and Jeremy Manley finish.
Iosefo faced 15 batters and took nine strike outs. He also gave up two walks.
Manley, who came in for the fifth inning faced just 10 batters and took four strikeouts.
“You have to be happy in that they didn’t give up a hit today and I think Chubb [Tangaroa, the pitching coach] is doing a fantastic job.”
“We have been putting a lot of work in, but there is still a lot to do.”
