Pitcher Marty Grant led New Zealand to men's softball's newest title. (Photo courtesy of Softball Australia)

NEW ZEALAND DOWNS AUSSIES FOR COMMONWEALTH TITLE
2006-01-30

They had to come from behind to do it, but the New Zealand Black Sox defeated Australia, 5-3, to claim the title at the 1st Men’s Commonwealth Softball Championship yesterday in Melbourne.

The event was staged in the same city that will host the Commonwealth Games in March, and the CEO of the Commonwealth Games Association of Australia was there to see the Championship himself. International Softball Federation (ISF) President Don Porter was also on-hand.

Samoa won the bronze medal and South Africa finished fourth.

In the gold medal game, New Zealand got on the board first with a run in the top of the first inning, but, in the bottom of the second, Australia’s Paul Maisey hit a bases loaded single to bring home two runs, with another scoring two batters later. That, however, would prove to be all the scoring the host team would do.

For the Black Sox, the defending ISF men’s world champions, second baseman Travis Wilson connected on a 3-2 pitch in the top of the third for a solo home run to cut the Australia lead to one. One inning later, a two-run shot to left field by third baseman Brad Rona brought home the tying and eventual winning run. New Zealand added an insurance tally in the top of the sixth and pitcher Marty Grant turned in a complete game performance that left the Aussies with the silver medals.

The host team had advanced to the gold medal game after defeating Samoa a few hours earlier, 3-1. The night before, Australia faced quite a challenge in just getting to the next day’s game against Samoa. Saturday evening the host team took on South Africa and quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, and it was 4-1 after an inning-and-a-half. But South Africa tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the third, before Aussie pitcher Kris Kiefel hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth to score David Newsome, who’d opened the inning with a double. Australia pitcher Andrew Kirkpatrick helped secure the 5-4 victory by striking out seven of the final nine South African batters.

New Zealand’s Thomas Makea, who went 6-for-14 at the plate, including one home run, was named the Top Batter. He drove in three runs. Grant won the Pitching Performance Award, striking out 21 of the 88 batters he faced over 23 innings pitched.