Master blaster Tyron Bartorillo smashes fourth home run in Black Sox win

July 9, 2017

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Black Sox shortstop Tyron Bartorillo has hit four home runs and batted in 10 runs in the first two days of the world championships in Canada.

ORIGINAL STORY by Tony Smith 

Tyron Bartorillo slammed his fourth home run of the tournament to clinch the Black Sox's 9-2 win over the Czech Republic at the world championships in Canada.

The Canterbury shortstop hammered a two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the fifth inning at Whitehorse on Sunday.

Bartorillo - who has won world championship gold medals with his native Australia in 2009 and New Zealand in 2013 - smashed three home runs and eight RBIs (runs batted in) in the first-day 22-0 thrashing of Turkey. He now has 10 RBIs for the tournament.

The Black Sox hitters showed impressive plate discipline to come back from an early 1-0 deficit against the Czechs, who beat them 6-0 in a lead-up tournament in British Columbia last week.

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Czech led 1-0 after Tomas Klein batted in Tomas Benda in the top of the second inning after both had singles.

But they were the only hits given up by Black Sox pitcher Nik Hayes, who racked up 10 strikeouts - including four in one inning after one his victims made base on a dropped third strike.

The Black Sox went ahead in the bottom of the second after two runners scored on bases-loaded walks by the Czech pitcher and another plated on a passed ball that eluded the catcher.

Nathan Nukunuku grabbed New Zealand's first hit of the game, blasting a captain's knock triple up the middle to score brothers Campbell and Ben Enoka and catcher Zane van Lieshout.

New Zealand scored six runs in the second to establish an unassailable 6-1 lead.

The Czechs reduced the deficit in the third when Marek Maly drew a walk and scored on a throwing error by van Lieshout.

New Zealand vice-captain Thomas Enoka batted in brother Ben in the fourth frame and Brad Rona, playing a record 94th world championship game in his sixth campaign, hammered a stand-up double in the fifth before Bartorillo's home run heroics ended the encounter early.

Meanwhile, former Black Sox pitcher Jeremy Manley hurled the United States to a 2-1 win over 2009 world champions Australia.

Manley, from Feilding, pitched the Black Sox to the gold medal at Auckland in 2013, winning the Kevin Herlihy award as top pitcher.

He has lived in the United States for over a decade and is now the assistant coach of the University of Ohio women's softball team.

Manley took four strikeouts and conceded two hits in five innings on the mound against Australia.

AT A GLANCE

New Zealand Black Sox 9 Czech Republic 2 (5 innings). Hits: NZ 4 (Tyron Bartorillo HR, Nathan Nukunuku 3B, Brad Rona 2B, Thomas Enoka) Czech Rep. 2. Pitching: Nik Hayes 10 strikeouts, 2 hits, 1 walk.

 

 

 - Stuff