Rays crush Gazelle 22-2 in POM softball

WITH four more weekends before the knock-outs, the Port Moresby men’s premier softball competition is heating up with teams trying to consolidate their position on the ladder.
Bears, who are currently on fifth spot, will have to improve their performance or they will miss out. Dolphins and a vastly improved Samurai are on their tails and will be fighting to get into the finals.
PNG Power are outright leaders with 23 points after their good win over Bears 11-5 in the opening A grade match on Sunday.
Gazelle suffered the biggest loss in their history going down to a greatly improved Mantarays side 22-2.
The Mantarays opened the scorebook by hitting Patrick Pilack’s ball for easy 12 runs before he was replaced by Tony Karani who also failed allowing 10 runs scored against him to bring the total to 22-2.
The match was stopped on the mercy-rule in the third innings with Mantarays declared the winner.
Their loss to Mantarays has relegated them to third spot while United Brothers one point victory over Brown Eagles in the main game pushed them to second spot behind the competition front runners, PNG Power.
Samurai with former PNG hurler Esau Vinarang at the pitcher’s mound should impose its presence in the coming week as they have displayed it over depleted Dolphins side 6-0 last weekend.
Vinarang was in devastating form recording seven K2’s against Dolphins top batters.
A Former Madang pitcher, Vinarang moved to Port Moresby to play with the Samurai team.
Defence shot down Kopex 11-7 but it did not make any difference on the points ladder.
The ladder as of last weekend is as follows: PNG Power 23, Brothers 18, Gazelle 17, Mantarays 15, Bears 13, Dolphins 12, Samurai 10, Kopex 8, Defence 7 and Eagles 7.