Christchurch, NZ - American battery deliver Auckland Marist national women's interclub softball title
UNHITTABLE: American import Blaire Luna fanned 12 Western Magpies in a dominating pitching performance as Auckland Marist claimed a 1-0 victory in the national women's interclub final.
Former White Sox softballer Katy Hetherington paid the ultimate tribute to Auckland Marist's ace American pitcher-catcher combination after Marist bagged the national interclub women's title.
Hetherington had just watched Marist, led by pitcher Blaire Luna and catcher Amanda Ogle, beat her Western Magpies team 1-0 in Sunday's final in Christchurch.
"To our two American visitors, you have certainly brought some very poor batting averages to our competition," quipped Hetherington as she accepted the tournament runner-up award.
Luna and Ogle, two University of Texas graduates who now play in the United States Pro League, will head home to American with a clutch of team and individual awards.
Luna, 24, was the top pitcher at the national tournament and also pitched Marist to the Auckland club title and Auckland to the National Fastpitch Championship crown.
She struck out 12 Magpies in the final to continue her double-figure domination of most opposing lineups, scored the winning run and chimed in with a hit in the batter's box.Â
But she coudn't have done it without battery mate Ogle, who picked up a two-base hit in the final and showed copybook catcher technique behind the plate, blocking a couple of loose balls which could have led to Magpies runs.
Marist coach Venita Hokai said having "Blaire and Mandy has been a real privilege for us". But she said Marist "didn't have it all our way all week" and the final "could have gone either way".
Magpies' own American import, Kaleo Eldredge, also starred, leading off the game with a hard-hit two-bagger off Luna and stunning the crowd with a brilliant airborne catch at shortstop.
Magpies managed four hits, including two to Carina Hale. But a couple were bloopers that dropped between fielders and should have been caught.
The final was a pitchers' duel with Magpies' White Sox pitcher Jennifer Feret hurling valiantly in her second game of the day. She took five strikeouts for four hits and three walks.
Marist grabbed the only run in the second inning when Luna was walked and Sarah Wallace and Georgia Rudd advanced her with sacrifice hits. Former White Sox international Kalala Gabriel stepped up to drive Luna in.
Softball New Zealand staffer Naomi Shaw, a former White Sox captain and coach, said the tournament was "probably the tightest women's club nationals" she had attended with "the standard of play exceptionally high" among the top-six teams.
Hutt Valley Dodgers beat Otahuhu 3-2 in an eighth inning tiebreaker to advance to the semifinal, but were then soundly beaten 7-0 by Magpies, who had lost 2-1 to Marist on Saturday night.
Waitakere Bears' White Sox slugger Rebecca Bromhead won the tournament top batter award.
Final top six placings: Auckland Marist 1, Western Magpies 2, Hutt Valley Dodgers 3, Otahuhu 4, Hutt Valley Saints 5, Papanui (Canterbury) 6.
 - Stuff
