Moni Plus Gazelle edge Stingerz

MONI Plus Gazelle edged Stingerz 6-5 in the Port Moresby Women’s Softball Association elimination final at the Bisini Diamonds on Saturday.
Gazelle will now meet Bears in the preliminary final on Saturday with the winner to advance to the grand final against minor premiers and reigning champions United Sisters.
Sisters beat Bears 10-6 in the major semifinal to secure the first grand-final berth next week.
In a thriller, Gazelle managed to save their best for the do-or-die clash against Stingerz making fewer errors, batting intelligently and holding their nerve to claim the crucial run in the seventh inning.
Stingerz did not go down without a fight, pushing Gazelle hard across every inning and actually had a three-run lead heading into the top of the sixth.
Stingerz were ahead 5-2 in the fifth inning courtesy of Gertrude Simba (1), Eunice Tovia (2), Dulcie Simba (1) and Grace Joe (1), and only needed to hold Gazelle at bay over the next two.
But their form and poise deserted them when it mattered and Gazelle leapt back into the contest to trail 4-5 at the end of the sixth inning thanks to Aida Pondriket and Navasha Pilak.
In the seventh inning, Natasha Pilak and veteran Matilda Pondriket combined to get their team over a stunned Stingerz.