Newlands Softballers spur national win: Wellington U19 pitcher, and tournament Top Pitcher, Kasey Hoani winds up a strike.
?No one expected us to win. In front of a packed Wellington crowd the team ignited and it was excitement to the max,? said Wellington U19 Women?s Coach Ashley Pointon after winning the national title. The Wellington team took the hard route and fought back from a fourth placing in the play-offs to topple Hutt Valley in the final. The Newlands Softball Club featured prominently in the team with Ariana Collier, Danielle Tanoa, Charlotte Pointon, Kasey Hoani, Aroha Noanoa, Hinemaui Parata and Melissa Brosnahan in the side that won the championship at the start of January. ?In the first two days they struggled and really had to work themselves out of a hole to make the play-offs. ?It was one of the most exciting softball tournaments I have ever been to, and it was so great coming from that position and knocking them over,? said Mr Pointon. The team?s first win came after they toppled Bay of Plenty to scrape into the play-offs on point difference. Next they beat back Canterbury 11-4 after losing to them 6-1 in the opening game of the tournament. ?Then they had the semi-final with Auckland, which was a humdinger of a game,? Mr Pointon said. At nil-all in the seventh innings Wellington scored two runs and then held-off Auckland?s batters to seal the victory. The final versus Hutt Valley loomed and Wellington?s pitches were tiring from the long haul. ?We opened up a six run lead in the first innings; the girls just took to the game and pressured them,? he said. Hutt Valley then crept back to overtake Wellington 6-7. But in the final innings Charlotte Pointon and Danielle Tanoa made it home off an Aroha Noanoa fly-ball and the game was in the bag 8-7. Danielle Tanoa, Charlotte Pointon, Kasey Hoani and Hinemaui Parata made the tournament team with Kasey winning the Top Pitcher award and Charlotte winning the MVP award. Johnsonville Softball Club girls Leah Conely, Courtney Durr, Jasmin Kaiaruna, made up the remainder of the Wellington team.
