Juniors set sights on bronze playoff | Hawkes Bay Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Hawkes Bay

New Zealand are two wins away from the bronze medal playoff at softball's Junior Women's World Series in Cape Town.

The Junior White Sox, who are captained by Hawke's Bay pitcher Rita Hokianga, beat Brazil 8-0 in five innings last night. Hokianga pitched the entire game and collected five strikeouts while conceding three hits.

Hawke's Bay's Kevin Gettins, the Junior White Sox assistant coach, described the Kiwis' victory as "a very comprehensive win". The Junior White Sox produced 10 hits and after a scorless first inning scored in the next four.

Tomorrow New Zealand will play Australia, who lost 7-4 to the United States this morning, and a win in this match is likely to see them take on either Japan or Canada with a berth in the bronze medal playoff at stake. The Junior White Sox entered the 16-team tournament as the ninth seeds.

Gettins and Hokianga will be eagerly awaiting texts from their Dodgers premier women's team tomorrow.

Dodgers play Dodgers Bay Bays in the second match of their best of three game pre-Christmas final series at Akina Park, Hastings.

Should Dodgers win the game they will claim the title but a loss would force a decider immediately afterwards. Dodgers required a tie-breaker inning to pip Dodgers Bay Bays 3-2 in the first game last weekend.

Gettins is normally the head coach of the Dodgers side and Hokianga shares the pitching duties with New Zealand under-16 pitcher Courtney Gettins, the daughter of coach Gettins.

Gettins' wife and former White Sox infielder, Charmaine Gettins and another daughter, White Sox catcher Melanie Gettins, will again coach Dodgers in his absence.

The premier men's final will see Fast Pitch take on the winners of the earlier sudden death semifinal between defending champions Maraenui Pumas and Harris Scrap Saints.

Canadian pitcher Mike Joseph, who played for Tamatea in 2007, has been selected in the United States team to compete in the International Softball Federation's qualifying series for the 2013 World Series to be played in North Harbour.