The men’s team, competing in the Jefferies Cup, finished third in a tournament which also featured sides from Canterbury, Southland and Nelson.
Otago won its final game of the tournament to gain third after losing games to each of the other sides on Saturday as it was exposed to a better standard of the sport than it is used to in Dunedin.
But in the playoff for third and fourth, Otago played its best softball of the tournament and came away with a 10-3 victory over Nelson, winning by the mercy rule in the fifth inning.
Ben Foster played well for Otago in the tournament which was won by Canterbury.
The Otago players are now available for the Southern Pride team which covers all players in the South Island apart from Canterbury which has its own team.
The Pride will be picked before Christmas.
The Otago women’s team did not win a game but battled hard and there was much encouragement which came from the side’s performances.
The team lost to Southland 4-3 and 7-6 and also went down to Canterbury 11-4, the only runs conceded by Canterbury in the whole Jubilee Cup tournament.
The 7-6 loss to Southland was very tough to take as the side was up 6-4 and needed just one out to win the game.
But Southland managed to escape with some clutch play at the end.
Otago women’s coach Sandy Wallace said it was tough to lose in that way but it had been a good effort by her team.
The Otago side was well led by Katie Smith and Kirsty Currie while youngsters Zillah Conder and Marissa Ahlfeld did well.
Wallace said there was no more play for the Otago side for the rest of the season. .
The club nationals are in Christchurch in March and it would be good to get an Otago team involved, Wallace said.
There is no senior women’s club competition in Dunedin.
