A first ever National Baseball Championship title goes to the Wellington region with the Hutt Valley Hornets proving too strong for 2017 champions North Shore City in Sunday’s final.

Led by a two run home run in the first innings from tournament MVP and best hitter Mana Kiikoro, the Hutt Valley side battled all the way before outlasting North Shore 12-1, plating seven runs in the top of the fifth inning to blow the game wide open having led 5-1 after 4 and a ½ innings.

Kiikoro also led the way on the mound, pitching 4 1/3 strong innings, giving up just two hits, a run and striking out 12 while walking just two hitters and his pitching was matched by Flynn Warren, who finished the 5^th inning striking out both hitters he faced.

With two hits each by the Easthope pair, Lennox and Keenan, Brian Woolley and Zahr Shaw-Wallace and one each from Kiikoro, Everett Parker, Josh Kennedy and Flynn Warren, the Hornets bats proved too much for a traditionally strong North Shore side who only mustered hits by Jordan Thompson and Mia Boaler.

The Hornets were the only unbeaten side in the tournament after winning all three pool games, followed by their quarter and semi final victories.

In the playoff for third and fourth Tauranga Tide fought back from an early deficit to prove too strong for 2017 runners up Orewa Sharks winning 21-9.

In the plate competition, Counties Red defeated 2017 plate winners West City.

Placings

1st - Hutt Valley Hornets

2nd - North Shore City

3rd - Tauranga Tide

Plate - Counties Red

Tournament Awards

MVP – Mana Kiikoro (Hutt Valley Hornets)

Best Hitter – Mana Kiikoro (Hutt Valley Hornets)

Best Pitcher – Hunter Southey (HP Hawks)

All Tournament Team

1.  Mana Kiikoro – Hutt Valley Hornets

2.  Hunter Southey – Howick Pakuranga Black

3.  Flynn Warren – Hutt Valley Hornets

4.  Damian Feagaiga – West City Flyers

5.  Jared Gates – Bayside Westhaven

6.  Zach Ryan – Howick Pakuranga Black

7.  Joe Nepia – Central City

8.  George McCarroll – Hutt Valley Hornets

9.  Bunji Nakao – North Shore City

10. Luke Devine – Tauranga Tide

11. Hunter Horsley – Orewa Sharks

12. Brooklyn Te Kawa – Counties

13. James Matthews – Nelson

14. Tane Landon-Lane Jr – Central Sports Club