Northland Giants vs Waikato River Bandits
The first of the New Zealand semi finals. The River Bandits had the slight edge on the Giants 7-5 over the season but in a lot of those wins they had the services of their MVP candidate Ravichandran Prudvi, but he is still out with a fractured ankle.
The Giants bring some great cleanup hitters to the equation. With the likes of Ciaran Macleod and Jalasa Paramartha to count on. They top the kiwi conference in runs scored and on-base percentage, and come in second on batting average and home runs.
Disaster for Northland as their top pitcher Rex Uridge goes down injured in the third innings. It's a flareup of his previous elbow inflammation that will see him miss the rest of the playoffs.
There may not be much rest-of-the-playoffs though for the Giants. Their much touted hitters couldn't get any runs on the board against Masamoto van der Meijden, who pitched all but one pitch of the game for Waikato. (Guess he doesn't credit for the shutout then? Stink)
Another day, another shutout. Randolph Alport this time getting it done for the River Bandits. The Giants are in serious trouble now, they're down 2-0 in the series and now have to travel down to Hamilton.
The Giants avoid getting swept and keep their playoff hopes alive with a shutout of their own. Their hitters finally start firing, can the #1 seed claw their way back in?
The answer is no. The River Bandits take this one away from the Giants in the first (and only) non-shutout of the series.
The River Bandits make it to their second straight New Zealand final.