ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 2, 1990                   TAG: 9005020341
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


NORTH CROSS CRUISES 9-1

Match two soccer teams with a combined one loss in 23 starts and the last thing one would expect is what happened when North Cross and William Byrd played Tuesday.

The Raiders scored eight first-half goals as they crushed the Terriers 9-1 in the rain.

"I don't know what happened," Byrd coach Jeff Highfill said. "It snowballed early and we never got our feet under us and got ready to play."

Not so for North Cross (13-1). The Raiders all but exhaled flames from the start. Before North Cross coach Richard Cook yanked his starters midway through the second half, sophomore Stuart Baucom had scored a career-high four goals and tossed in an assist and Joe Basile had two goals and an assist.

"I knew the field was wet and that if we could get some shots on their goalkeeper, he might bobble the ball and I could be there to get it," Baucom said.

North Cross outshot Byrd 15-11, which made it a long day for Byrd goalkeeper Dwayne Thompson. Raiders attackers roamed almost at will in the Terriers' zone early in the Blue Ridge Conference game.

"They [the Terriers] have all their strength up front," Cook said. "When you gamble and put your four best players up front, you come up a little short in back. Once you get past that first line . . . "

Robbie Scharph scored an unassisted goal in the second half to break up North Cross' shutout bid. Raiders goalies Jim Dixon and Neil Mitchell teamed for seven saves.

Also scoring for the Raiders were John Logan, Ryan Cook and John Gregory.

Coming in, William Byrd (10-1) had scored 84 goals and surrendered seven.

"North Cross played very well and they have a very good team," Highfill said. "But I don't think they're eight goals better than we are."

In other soccer:

At Dublin, Lang Wedemeyer scored three goals and Michael Eddy added two in leading Patrick Henry to a 5-0 Roanoke Valley District victory over host Pulaski County. Eddy had two assists for the Patriots (8-1-1). Pulaski County is 4-5.

Mike Sessions scored twice and had an assist and Phu Tran added two goals each as Salem defeated host William Fleming 5-2 in a non-district game. Bruck Alemayehu added another goal for Salem (10-2). Joey Patterson and Brian Melton scored for Fleming (1-10-1).

At Cave Spring, Ryan Menatta scored two goals to lead Cave Spring past Franklin County 3-0 in a Roanoke Valley District game. The Knights are 5-1-1 in the RVD, 6-5-1 overall.

\ BASEBALL: Jason Whorley hit a two-run home run and limited Franklin County (3-6, 4-10) to just three hits as homestanding Patrick Henry swamped the Eagles 12-1 in an RVD game.

Whorley struck out nine and walked none. Ted Lamar and Barry Shelton had three hits apiece and Shelton knocked in three runs for the Patriots (7-3, 11-3).

Jason St. Clair hit a grand slam and Jason Shafer added a three-run homer to lead host Cave Spring (8-1, 11-4) to a 16-0 whitewashing of William Fleming (1-8, 2-12) in the RVD.

Jason Beheler hit two home runs and had four RBI to lead North Cross to an 18-3 rout of Timberlake Christian in a Virginia Independent Conference game. The Raiders (5-0, 7-4) also had Ryan Shaver drive in four runs and T.J. Lang knocked in three.

\ SOFTBALL: At Moneta, Staunton River pitcher Jalenda Newman picked up a win and a loss as the Golden Eagles split a non-district doubleheader with James River 7-5 and 1-0.

In the first game, Newman took the loss when James River broke a 5-5 tie by scoring on an overthrow from right field. The Knights, designated the home team for the game, went on to win 7-5.

In the second game, Camilla Dellis singled home Monica Williams, who had walked and stolen two bases, to give Staunton River, the home team, a 1-0 victory. Newman (3-11) struck out six in winning the two-hitter.



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