PNG WINS SPG GOLD MEDALS
2007-09-03

There are still a few days left in the XIII South Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa, but the softball competition is complete.

Papua New Guinea won the gold medal in both men’s and women’s play. In the latter, the winners held off American Samoa, 2-1, for the title. Papua New Guinea’s men’s team had more breathing room, topping American Samoa 9-1 in the Grand Final.

The women did all their scoring in the first inning. Sulu Penerosa singled home Savannah Sanitoa with two outs in the top half for a 1-0 American Samoa lead. However, in the bottom of the inning, Papua New Guinea’s Vivian Yawing tied the game with a single that scored Shirley Tomangana, who’d led off with a single followed by advancement to second on a wild pitch and a stolen base at third. With two outs and Yawing having stolen second, Judy Nauvana drove in what would prove to be the game-winning run with a single as the two teams went scoreless the rest of the way.

Papua New Guinea’s men’s team had a five-run lead before American Samoa could finally tally their first run. The winners scored three times in the first inning followed by single tallies in each of the next two before American Samoa got their only run of the game in the top of the fourth.

Papua New Guinea responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning, including a lead-off solo home run from Robert Bais. The game was called after five innings due to the run-ahead rule. Winning pitcher Anslem Bun Bun went the distance, giving up just two hits and striking out nine.

Samoa won the men’s bronze while on the women’s side Palau outscored Samoa, 15-13, for third place.

This year’s event marked the final South Pacific Games, which will head into a new era of Pacific Games.