THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 5, 1996 TAG: 9605020194
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 34 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER
CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: HERTFORD LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
At first glance, Perquimans County's 13-0 win over Northampton East might suggest an easy victory. The Pirates won the game in the fifth inning when the 10-run rule was invoked.
But Perquimans worked hard at doing the little things that win games and taking advantage of East's sloppy play. It's an indication of why the Pirates lead the Albemarle Conference and the Rams are going nowhere.
After Mike Salvatore set East down in the first inning, Rams pitcher Lucas Vaughan broke the basic rule of pitching - throw strikes.
Vaughan walked Mark Clinkscales, Carson Stallings and Brock Nixon to open the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded, Paul Hunter drove a Vaughan fastball high and deep to center for a three-run triple.
The ball traveled about 400 feet and would have been a home run in most high school parks, but the centerfield fence at Memorial Field is 434 feet.
Clint Eley scored Hunter with a single to left. After Leary Winslow popped out, A.J. Miller drove a single to left-center, sending Eley to third. Eley scored on a fielder's choice by Salvatore.
The Pirates added a run in the second. Nixon stroked a one-out single and Hunter walked. With Eley at the plate, Vaughan fired wildly as he tried to pick off Nixon at second and Nixon scored on the play.
Northampton East committed another gaffe in the third by not playing it safe on the bases with no outs and trailing by six runs.
Lead-off batter Scott Laverty reached base on a throwing error by Stallings at shortstop. But with no outs, Laverty was doubled off first base on, of all things, a pop-up to first baseman Clinkscales.
Perquimans erupted again in the fourth to put the game away. Again, a tiring Vaughan walked the first three batters and Vaughan was lifted for Terrell Midgette.
Eley grounded to first base to drive in a run, moving Nixon to third and Hunter to second. Winslow followed with a sharp single which scored Nixon and put Hunter on third.
More significantly, Winslow took second on leftfielder Rob Woodard's wild throw home which had no apparent chance of catching the runner. This set up a two-run single by Miller.
Again, Woodard came up throwing home with little chance to catch either runner and Miller scooted to second base.
Midgette walked Salvatore and Brad Owens pinch-ran. Drew Byrum followed with a single to center which scored Miller from second and moved Owens to second.
Clinkscales lined a single to center, scoring Owens. Centerfielder Adam Newsome threw to the wrong base and allowed Byrum to reach third and Clinkscales to go to second. Byrum scored the final run of the game on a wild pitch.
The Pirates' heads-up base running kept them out of force plays and put runners in scoring position all game.
``We do work on the fundamentals, simply running the bases,'' said Phil Woodell, Perquimans coach. ``Fundamentals are where you win a lot of high school baseball games.''
Salvatore upped his record to 2-1, allowing three hits and striking out four.
``I'm really pleased we're getting some quality innings out of him,'' Woodell said. ``He's a senior and we expect that.'' by CNB