A timely wake-up call has been given to the Black Sox after they lost their hold on the Pacific Series trophy in Canberra on Saturday. The side was beaten 3-2 by Australia Green in the final.
While it was a Donny Hale home run in the fourth inning that opened the scoring account that advantage was cancelled out when both James Darby and Michael Tanner dispatched pitches from Heinie Shannon over the fence and with a runner already on base Australia Green finished the fifth inning ahead 3-1. Patrick Shannon did claw the game back to 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh with a home run but the side were unable to add to the score again.

The draw for the series is as follows: 

Wednesday, 5 December
2.30pm NZ 7 v Japan 1
4.30pm Australia Green 7 v Australia Gold 2 
6.30pm Australia Green 2 v Japan 1
8.30pm Opening Ceremony
9.30pm Australia Gold 0 v NZ 8

Thursday, 6 December
3.30pm NZ 5 v Australia Green 2 
5.30pm NZ 3 v Australia Gold 2 
7.30pm Japan 4 v Australia Gold 0 
9.30pm Japan 0 v Australia Green 7

Friday, 7 December
3.30pm Australia Gold 5 v Japan 4 
5.30pm Australia Green 5 v NZ 3
7.30pm Japan 3 v NZ 5
9.30pm Australia Green 4 v Australia Gold 5

Saturday, 8 December
12.00pm Second (Aust G)7 v Third (Aust G) 6
4.00pm NZ 2 v Australian Green 3
(Note: All times are NZ times)

Canberra will play host to the third annual Pacific International Men's Series Dec. 5-8, featuring two Australian teams, the NZ Black Sox and Japan ...  

The Pacific Series was initiated to provide an international men's softball event for countries in the Pacific region on an annual basis in the lead-up to the 2009 ISF Men's World Championship. This will be the third edition of the series, and the first on Australian soil, after NZ hosted the inaugural event in 2005 and Japan hosted last year's event. 

The NZ Black Sox will be looking to defend their Pacific Series title, after winning the previous two series. Japan, finalists on both previous ocassions and highly regarded in men's fastpitch, will provide strong
competition. Last years final saw Japan lose to NZ 5-2.

The Black Sox remain on course to play in the final of the Pacific Series tournament in Canberra, but not without being given a fright by Australia Gold yesterday.
One of two Australian teams at the tournament Gold took the defending title holders to a tiebreaker inning, but the strength and ability to keep their cool under pressure paid off for the Black Sox with Thomas Makea, who was involved in some way in every run scored, scoring the deciding run on a sacrifice hit by Jarrad Martin. 

It was the Black Sox who opened the run account in the game with Rhys Casley coming home on a hit from Makea in the third inning. However, that one run advantage was cancelled out when Australia bounced back scoring two runs in their next turn at bat. Two innings later Makea showed just why he is considered one of the best power hitters in the world with his home run putting the Black Sox back on level terms. 

Starting pitcher for the Black Sox was Tane Richardson who in the five innings he was on the mound gave up seven hits and took three strikeouts. Michael Gaiger finished, pitching the final two innings giving up two hits and took four strikeouts.

Earlier on day two of the tournament, the Black Sox beat Australia Green 5-2, with four of the side’s runs being scored in the second inning.

The Black Sox wasted no time in sending out a message to their opponents at the Pacific Series tournament in Canberra today, beating Japan 7-1. 
From the opening inning the Black Sox meant business when with loaded bases captain Jarrad Martin stepped up to the plate and put the ball to the outfield fence to empty the bases. He then scored himself on a pass ball.
With Jeremy Manley in control on the mound the Japanese team found it hard to string together the safe hits and while the side pulled a run back in the top of the fourth inning, Brad Rona immediately canceled that out with his home run in the bottom of that inning.
It was then Gareth Cook who celebrated his recall to the Black Sox team in the sixth inning with the Canterbury representative’s hit bringing in a further two runs.
“That was a good effort from everyone, they all contributed well” Black Sox high performance coordinator Jayden Moore said.

The NZ Black Sox defeated Australia Green 5-2 in today's first match of round two at the Pacific International Men's Series in Canberra.
In the first match on the second day's play, the NZ Black Sox have cemented their position on top of the ladder with a 5-2 win against the previously unbeaten Australia Green team.
As has been the recent trend in Australia-NZ matches, the Australia Green team jumped out of the blocks scoring two runs in the top of the first inning, but the Black Sox didn't have to wait long to reclaim the lead, scoring four runs in the bottom of the second, including a home run to Donny Hale. Another run in the bottom of the third extended the Black Sox lead to 5-2, and from then on both teams' defenses were able to shut the game down, giving NZ the win.

The Black Sox team for the Pacific Series is: Jeremy Manley (Hutt Valley), Tane Richardson, Stephen Ratu, Stacy McLean, Thomas Makea (Wellington) Mike Gaiger, Travis Wilson, Gareth Cook (Canterbury), Heinie Shannon, Patrick Shannon, Donny Hale, Bernard Hale, Jonathan Munden, Gus Leger (Auckland) Jarrad Martin, Brad Rona (North Harbour), Rhys Casley (US-based).