(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Henk Seppen)
 Australian Softball Championship resumes with abbreviated schedule
Nederlands
 BLACKTOWN, Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales (Australia) -
After almost four days of (heavy) rain and many cancellations, the 69th edition of the Women's Softball Fastpitch Australian National Championship Tournament finally resumed on Thursday (January 7).
The event went underway on Sunday (January 3) at Blacktown International Sportspark in Blacktown.
But only three games were played, then as the event was hampered by heavy rain since Sunday-afternoon, resulting in numerous cancellations.
Besides the Open Women's Championship, the tournament for the U17 Women's Softball Australian Championship is also played at the complex.
The tournament organization had even investigated relocation to another venue, but that was not possible to realize.
The seven-day tournament went underway as scheduled on Sunday-morning.
Queensland Heat then registered a 5-0 shutout-win against Western Australia Flames.
In the next game of the day, Queensland won 4-1 vs. South Australia Starz.
But this game was halted after five complete innings due to rain.
As five innings were played, this game was valid.
As the same time, Victoria Titans came from behind to win 2-1 vs. Australian Capital Territory Diamonds.
This game was halted by rain with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, moments after Victoria had taken the lead, making it an official game and win for the Titans.
The remaining three games on Sunday all were cancelled.
As predicted, there was more rain on Monday and Tuesday.
A new schedule was created several times, but all games had to be scrubbed on both Monday and Tuesday.
It was hoped that the event could resume again on Wednesday-morning, but all games had to be cancelled again due to the conditions of the weather and the fields.
Again, a new scheduled was made for Thursday, with even listed two games to start at midnight!
Thursday started sunny, but another adjustment had to be made.
Due to the severe rain and now the sun coming out, the water in the ground moistured and wet the fields again.
Groundcrews worked very hard to make the fields playable and finally, in the evening, starting at 9 PM, the first games could be played, but the main field (Diamond 1) remained unplayable.
At the end of the long day, four games were played, with the last two ending after midnight.
For Friday, eight games are scheduled.
In the original schedule, the first Play-Off games were listed for Friday.
These have now been moved to Saturday, which remains the final day of the event.
The three Play-Off games will start at 11 AM, while the two final-games will follow in the afternoon and the evening.
In the new schedule, the original double round-robin has been reduced to a single round-robin.
With that, the six teams now meet each other only once and 15 games were dropped from the schedule, but it kept the period of playing intact with the decisive final still scheduled to be played on Saturday.
...Britt Vonk...
...2 hits, 3 runs, 3 RBI's...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
In the first game on Thursday, starting at 9 PM, Queensland Heat shutout Victoria Titans 14-0 in a 5-inning game.
With that, Queensland became the first team to have already played three games.
They were the lone team to be able to play twice on Sunday.
Tonight, Jocelyn McCallum threw a No-Hitter, struckout 12 batters and walked only one.
She struckout the first nine batters she faced.
After having retired 11 batters in a row, she walked Jackie Di Siervi, who became the lone runner for Victoria.
Queensland collected nine basehits, including two by Britt Vonk, who had another fine outing, despite the three days of rain.
The Dutch National Team-player, scored three runs, batted in three and walked once.
In the two games she played on Sunday, she collected four basehits, including a triple and an inside-the-park-homerun, scored four runs and batted in two.
Brenda De Blaes contributed on Thursday with two hits and four RBI's, while Chelsea Forkin also had two basehits.
Queensland rallied for five runs in the first inning.
Britt Vonk led off with a walk, advanced on a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch, then scored the first run on a single by Brenda De Blaes.
Later in the at bat, the next two runs were added on basesloaded walks.
After a pitching change, two more runs were scored on a passed ball and a wild pitch.
After being retired in order in the second and third inning, Queensland added four runs in the fourth.
Britt Vonk opened the rally with a runscoring single, then the next run was scored on a wild pitch.
After a pitching change, Chelsea Forkin and Jade Wall also singled in a run to lift the lead to 9-0.
Another 5-run rally followed in the top of the fifth inning.
This time, Britt Vonk brought in two runs with a single, while Brenda De Blaes connected for a 3-run homerun.
Also starting at 9 PM was the match-up between South Australia Starz and New South Wales Firestars, which was the lone team to not have played yet.
The Starz won 2-1 in eight innings to register its first win after having lost on Sunday.
Monica Perry went the distance for the Starz.
The American righthander struckout eight batters and gave up only two basehits.
However, the Starz faced a 1-0 deficit when the seventh inning began.
...Monica Perry...
...winning pitcher, 2-hitter...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
New South Wales took an 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring an unearned run.
With one out, Taylah Tsitsikronis reached on an error, stole second base and scored on a single by Rachel Lack.
NSW-pitcher Kaia Parnaby also went the distance and struckout eleven batters, but gave up seven basehits.
The Starz left a runner on second base in the first inning, then again in the second when Michelle Edgtton had doubled.
After stranding a runner on first base in the third and fourth at bat, another runner was left on second base in the sixth.
But in the top of the seventh, the Starz came alongside.
Madeline Cameron led off with a single, then moved on an infield-hit with two outs by pinch-hitter Jessica Maslin.
Moments later, she scored the tying run when Chelsea Robinson also singled, but two runners were left behind.
NSW had a runner on third base with two outs in the fifth inning, but then Monica Perry closed by striking out veteran Stacey Porter.
In the sixth (two strikeouts) and seventh inning, Perry retired the side.
In the top of the eighth, South Australia took a 2-1 lead.
Tie-break runner Jasmine Lee then moved on a sacrifice bunt by Ada Brincat-Tree and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jenny Dunn.
In the bottom of the eighth, NSW's tie-break runner Samantha Poole also advanced on a sac-bunt by Simone Freeman.
Hereafter, Monica Perry struckout Michelle Cox, then powerhitter Stacey Porter was walked intentionally.
The game then ended when Stacey McManus, another experienced Australian player, flied out.
SA-catcher Belinda White, who will play for DSS in the Dutch big league this year, was 1-for-4.
Michelle Edgtton, who played for Twins in the Dutch Silver League and played at 2B in this game, was 1-for-3.
Monica Perry, who won the European Cup-Winners-Cup, as well as the Dutch Championship-title with Terrasvogels in 2013, had a fine outing and held the three best NSW-batters (all national team) hitless.
Stacey Porter, Stacey McManus and Taylah Tsitsikronis, who were the first three batters in the line-up, were 0-for-10 combined, including three strikeouts.
...Greta Cecchetti...
...starting pitcher for New South Wales...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
After completion of this game, New South Wales immediately had to play its next one.
They faced Australian Capital Territory Diamonds and this time won, 7-3, but trailed 3-2 after five innings.
NSW opened the score with two runs in the top of the third inning off of Italian pitcher Greta Cecchetti.
With one out, Stacey Porter walked and Stacey McManus reached on an infield-hit.
With two outs, they scored on a double by Rachel Lack.
In the bottom of the third, ACT got one run back off of Amelia Cudicio.
Camille Richards led off with a double, moved on a single by Dorinda Stone and scored on a single by Clare Warwick.
ACT took a 3-2 lead by scoring twice in the fifth inning.
With one out, Dorinda Stone doubled and Clare Warwick reached on an error.
The bases then got loaded when Brie McGovern singled.
A force out at home followed, but then Italian National Team-player Ilaria Pino delivered a 2-run single to give the Diamonds the lead.
The lead was shortlived, as the Firestars answered with a 5-run rally in the top of the sixth inning.
Belinda Barnes led off with a walk and Alexandra Casey followed with a double.
Barnes tried to score, but was thrown out at the plate.
NSW then came alongside when Samantha Poole also doubled and advanced on an error.
Hereafter, Greta Cecchetti was replaced by Alison Edgtton, who had pitched for Euro Stars in the second highest Dutch league.
A groundout by Bianca Abrahams then gave NSW a 4-3 lead.
Kara Murprhy then doubled and Stacey Porter was walked intentionally, but Stacey McManus followed with a 3-run, inside-the-park-homerun that made it 7-3 in favor of the Firestars.
...Saskia Kosterink...
...two hits, one run...
(© Photo: Henk Seppen) |
Also starting late at night as the game between Western Australia Flames and Victoria Titans.
The Flames shutout the Titans 4-0.
Winning pitcher Amber Johnson gave up only one basehit.
The Flames collected eight basehits, including two by Dutch National Team-player Saskia Kosterink, who also scored a run.
Former Sparks Haarlem-player Leigh Godfrey was 1-for-3 and also scored a run.
The Flames opened the score with a 3-run rally in the first inning.
Saskia Kosterink led off with a single, then advanced on a bunt-single by Leigh Godfrey with one out.
Kosterink then scored the first run on a 2-out single by Tammy McMillan.
Hereafter, Shannon Hearne reached on an error, which led to two more runs.
In the second inning, Saskia Kosterink tripled with one out, but was unable to score on an infield-hit by Jemma Freegard.
A double play ended the at bat.
The Flames added its fourth run in the sixth inning.
Shannon Hearne led off with a double, then her pinch-runner Agatha Cheong moved on a flyout and scored on a single by Kylie Sparks.
Later in the inning, with a runner on second base and two outs, Saskia Kosterink was walked intentionally, but a strikeout ended the inning.
(January 7)
 Australian Softball Championship hampered by heavy rain. (January 5)
Britt Vonk, Saskia Kosterink; more familiar names in Australian Softball Final. (January 3)
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