Canterbury, NZ - Junior Black Sox trio help Papanui to double softball success.
Three Canterbury softball teens celebrated national selection with an important doubleheader win with the Papanui Tigers.
Papanui's Jackson Watt, Callum Bishop and Reilly Makea were named last week in the New Zealand Junior Black Sox squad for July's world under-19 championships in Michigan. They will be joined by PCU Devils pitcher-utility Bailey Hamilton.
 Thomas Makea, batting for the Black Sox, slammed an automatic home run for Papanui in a Canterbury competition win over PCU on Saturday.
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Three Canterbury softball teens celebrated national selection with an important doubleheader win with the Papanui Tigers.
Papanui's Jackson Watt, Callum Bishop and Reilly Makea were named last week in the New Zealand Junior Black Sox squad for July's world under-19 championships in Michigan. They will be joined by PCU Devils pitcher-utility Bailey Hamilton.
A good week got even better for the Papanui trio after the Tigers trounced competition leaders Albion 7-1 and beat PCU 8-2 in the Canterbury premiership on Saturday.
Bishop hit a first inning double in the win over Albion with Watt, Carl McIlroy, Ryan Merriman and Hoani Iva-Keen also producing telling hits. Black Sox training squad pitcher Ethan Johnston held national champions Albion to three hits while taking seven strikeouts.
Watt and Junior Black Sox head coach Thomas Makea blasted automatic home runs in Papanui's six-run win over PCU.
Bishop went two from four in the leadoff batter slot while McIlroy, who hammered a triple, and pitcher Ben Watts also had two hits.
Watts completed a fine all-round game with 10 strikeouts on the mound. Former Black Sox international Gareth Cook was the only PCU hitter to have Watts' measure with three hits from four, including a two-bagger.
Albion still lead the premiership points table, but Papanui now seem to have a lock on second place and should earn a berth in the end-of-season title playoff series.
Tigers coach Colin Sutherland believed his squad had benefited from two weekends of tough softball at the Poneke Kilbirnie (Wellington) and Vic Guth (Auckland) tournaments.
"The boys hit the ball well and the pitchers did the job [on Saturday]," he said.
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Albion routed the Halswell Hornets 17-0 in the other premier men's match.
Junior White Sox squad members Katelyn Bayer and Nerissa McDowell swatted home runs in Albion Cardinals' 13-5 win over Sydenham Kereru in the Canterbury women's premiership at Papanui Domain.
Lusia Elisara hit a triple for Albion and Lisa Harding had two hits.
Champions Papanui beat Halswell 4-0 with a late runs rally in a game played earlier to allow players to attend Papanui's White Sox squad member Emma Frost's wedding.
- Stuff
