THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408120251
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 23 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: Julie Goodrich
LENGTH: Long : 104 lines
SOFTBALL TITLE: In winning the citywide girls' slow-pitch softball title, the Indian River Untouchables did their best Energizer Bunny impressions - they just kept going . . . and going . . . and going.
Because seemingly endless rain forced the postponement of games, coach Frank Cleveland's squad found themselves forced to play three games in one night during the single-elimination tournament.
With only nine players, the Untouchables took the field against the Indian River Angels and played to a 6-6 tie after seven innings. The teams held each other scoreless until the 11th, when the Angels erupted for five runs in the top of the inning.
Although faced with almost certain defeat, the Untouchables strung together hit after hit until they tied the game. Christy Ange knocked the Angels out of contention with a bases-loaded single past third to give the Untouchables a 12-11 win.
But that was only the beginning. The Untouchables, a team of 13- and 14-year-olds, next faced the South Norfolk Red Sox, scoring an easy 6-3 win.
The team acquired a 10th player for the finale against the South Norfolk Pirates, which was tied 7-7 after regulation. In the top of the 8th, the Untouchables went ahead with four runs on hits by Jenny Harrison and Joanna Cleveland. Joy Pittman, who pitched all but one inning of the three games, retired the Pirates in order in the bottom of the 8th to complete the three-game playoff for the city championship.
The team promptly ambushed coach Cleveland with the traditional ice water soaking.
Other girls on the roster included Sarah Bell, Stephanie Campbell, Wendy Keeter, LeAnn Kerry, Elisabeth Smith and Shannon Tackett.
Final regular-season finishes in the Indian River/Greenbrier Girls Softball Association were as follows:
Midget - Bombers, Emeralds, Pink Panthers
Junior - Braves, Zingers, Obsession/Super Stars (tied for third place)
Teen - Aces, Untouchables, Angels
Senior - Knockouts, No Fear
BASEBALL BENEFIT: Three youth baseball teams from the Chesapeake area are helping kids less fortunate than themselves by competing in the 17th Peninsula Muscular Dystrophy Benefit Baseball Tournament.
The Western Branch Athletics, Southside and the Southside Sox are playing in the minor, intermediate and junior age divisions with games scheduled through Aug. 14.
The goal is to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy telethon. Last year, $40,000 was collected through sponsorships and donations for outstanding plays (home runs, clutch hits and diving catches).
AAU BLASTERS: The Tidewater Blasters 11-under AAU baseball team recently returned from Des Moines, Iowa, where they finished 16th out of 36 teams in the AAU Junior Olympic National Championship Tournament.
The Blasters faced teams from Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Oklahoma and Tennessee, finishing with a 4-4 record.
Matt Smith (.533 batting average), David Wright (.480), Matt Stephenson (.450) and Jason Moody (.423) led the Blasters offensively, with Moody and Wright hitting safely in all eight games.
Kyle Breeden notched two wins, and Jeff Demara and Wright each recorded a save. Other members include Alex Comiskey, Ryan Crosby, Jacob Dempsey, Elliott Erbe, Marshall Graves, Herbert ``Beef'' Griffin, Chris McKee and B.J. Upton.
GOLF TOURNAMENT: Melvin Holland, Bill Sherrill, Stan Dobson and Cliff Forrest teamed to win the third annual Carl Opauski Memorial Scholarship golf tournament at Sleepy Hole.
The tournament, which offers a scholarship annually to an outstanding graduating senior at Deep Creek High School in memory of the former coach and athletic director, drew a field of 140.
The winning team had a 17-under-par score.
The second-flight winners were Donald Hundley, Terry Forehand, Paul Neumann and Benn Griffin at 8 under par.
The third-flight winners, at 4 under par, were Johnnie Wood, Jerry Hasty, Chris Ettel and Kenny Turner.
Tournament director Jimmy Williams said proceeds of $5,000 will be contributed to the scholarship fund at Deep Creek.
TENPIN TOUNEY: John Bland of Portsmouth won the ninth annual Masters Championship tenpin tournament of the Mid-Atlantic Scratch Bowlers Association.
Twenty-eight youth bowlers were invited to participate in the season-ending championship event.
In the final, Bland defeated Teddy Peterson of Chesapeake, 280-176.
The starting field was trimmed to eight semifinalists via a six-game qualifying round. Marc Daniels of Virginia Beach paced the qualifiers with a 207.2 average. Advancing, in order by pinfall, were Kenny Narron Jr. of Hopewell, Anthony Petrello of Virginia Beach, Peterson, Malcolm Foust of Portsmouth, Bland, Timothy Morgan of Portsmouth and Michael Heath of Portsmouth.
After seven head-to-head matches, the four finalists were determined. Peterson gained the No. 1 seeding. Bland was the No. 2 seed, Daniels No. 3 and Heath No. 4.
In the first step-ladder final, Daniels beat Heath, 234-167. Bland then ousted Daniels, 296-249, firing 11 strikes in a row before a 6-hit. Bland bested Peterson in the championship match. MEMO: Bill Leffler contributed to this report.
by CNB