Ellis Park catcher Campbell Makea gets ready to return the
ball to pitcher Claire Velaski in the club softball game
against the Cardinals in Dunedin on Saturday. Photo by
Gerard O'Brien.
An American woman and the latest member of a New Zealand
dynasty made their debuts in Dunedin club softball on Saturday.
Claire Velaski made her first start for Ellis Park and
pitched all seven innings in an 8-3 loss to the Dodgers.
She later pitched two innings in relief in a 7-3 win over the
Cardinals.
Also playing for Ellis Park was Junior Black Sox catcher
Campbell Makea, part of the great softball family that
includes long-serving Black Sox players Thomas and Fabian.
The younger Makea is studying health sciences at the
University of Otago.
He returns to Wellington over the holidays to play for
Poneke-Kilbirnie, but is expected back in Dunedin softball in
February.
Makea showed his class by hitting home runs in both games he
played.
Velaski, who is also a university student, has dispensation
to play in the men's competition, along with Ellis Park
team-mate Kate Brewerton.
Velaski removed the first two Dodgers batters she faced in
the early game but then gave up a home run to the experienced
bat of Scott Cartwright.
The Dodgers eased to a 4-0 lead but then Cartwright, in
pitching mode, gave up three runs in the bottom of the fourth
when Makea belted a homer with Brewerton and Adam Whelan on
the bags.
Velaski found her control in the fifth and sixth innings,
giving up no more hits and no more runs, but the Dodgers
finished strongly with a 6-hit, 4-run seventh to seal the
win.
Veteran Peter Mathieson got the start for Ellis Park against
the Cardinals and got off to a shaky start when lead-off
Dodgers batter Doug Hill hit a home run.
Ellis Park capitalised on two errors in the bottom of the
second inning and got two runs, and took a commanding 5-2
lead when Makea smashed a two-run homer in the bottom of the
fifth.
The Saints beat the Dodgers 6-2 in a third game that featured
some outstanding pitching.
Cartwright retired the first seven Saints batters he faced,
and Dodgers pitcher Sam Jones had excellent support from his
defence as the game went scoreless through three innings.
Both teams scored twice in the fourth, with the Saints adding
four runs - including a Mike O'Neill homer - over the final
two innings.
Ellis Park, the Dodgers and the Saints are tied at the top of
the competition.
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