Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 9, 1990 TAG: 9005090671
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Not so for Patrick Henry with Cave Spring's Mark Hazelwood. The Patriots had less of a clue about what to do with the senior left-hander in Tuesday's third meeting than they did the first time.
Hazelwood mastered the Patriots for the third time this year, this time pitching a four-hitter at Maher Field to outduel Kevin Gabbert 1-0 and give the Knights the Roanoke Valley District regular-season title.
"Two super pitching efforts," said coach Roger White, whose Knights are 9-1 in the district and 12-4 overall with two league games left. "They ought to do real well together on the same American Legion team this summer. I know I wouldn't want to hit against them."
Gabbert, a junior left-hander, made only one mistake - and it cost him the game. He yielded a two-out run-scoring single to Keith Spicer in the second. That was all Hazelwood needed.
Hazelwood (5-1) struck out six and walked one. Runners reached third base with one out in the fifth and sixth, but never made it home.
"To tell you the truth, I didn't really feel in a jam all night, not even with men on base," Hazelwood said. "I was that comfortable with my pitches."
Hazelwood said his pitching comfort zone has never been greater this season than it is right now.
"I threw three times last week [in practice], and each time my arm felt really good for the first time this year," he said. "My arm felt much more live than it has. I had much more command of all my pitches."
Even so, he almost stayed in the dugout Tuesday.
"My right-hander, Keith Spicer, has been throwing really well and I thought really hard about using him because PH would be seeing Mark for the third time," White said. "But then I thought that Mark was a senior and this was his game to win."
Although neither team made an error, mistakes played a part in the outcome. The most damaging mistake for Patrick Henry (8-4, 12-4) was a base-running gaffe by Larry Damewood, who reached on a leadoff walk in the sixth. After Jason Whorley bunted him to second, Damewood didn't wait for Ted Lamar's grounder to short to go through and was nailed at third. Barry Shelton's subsequent single would have tied the score.
"A crucial mistake," said Dave Nelson, the Patriots' coach. "You work hard all night to get a guy to second. With Hazelwood, you don't run into a tag. Earlier, we miss a bunt and then hit into a double play. But these are just young kids . . ."
Thus, Gabbert's fine pitching was squandered. He struck out nine and walked one, allowing five hits. He loaded the bases in the seventh, then struck out the side. Gabbert leads Timesland with 92 strikeouts in 62 innings.
In other baseball:
At Hot Springs, Keswick Phillips (9-0) earned a victory in relief as Bath County clinched the Pioneer District championship with a 6-4 victory over Glenvar.
In Pearisburg, Darren Graham contributed with his pitching, bat and defense as the Blue Demons beat Giles 8-6 in eight innings to stay in the chase for the New River District regular-season title.
Graham struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings before moving to center field.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, runners at seond and third and the score 6-6, Graham caight Stacy Hutchison's line drive and fired a one-hop stike to catcher Johhny Self, who tagged out the runner.
\ BOYS' TENNIS: Cave Spring downed Patrick Henry 6-3 to win the Roanoke Valley District tournament title and advance to the Group AAA Northwestern Region tournament Monday and Tuesday at Woodbridge.
Patrick Henry's Del Turner defeated Cave Spring's Scott Hawes in team singles. Hawes had won the individual singles crown Monday to advance to regionals.
Hawes and Pat Hayes beat Turner and Morris Masinter in team doubles Tuesday, but Turner and Masinter will advance because they won in individual doubles Monday.
Salem's Tommy McDonald defeated Northside's Michelle Monsour and teamed with Brad Yates to beat Monsour and Erin Church as Salem won the Blue Ridge District tournament championship at the Salem Civic Center.
McDonald will face Antonette Veloso of William Byrd for the district individual singles title today. McDonald beat Veloso 6-3, 6-2 in team competition Monday.
McDonald will team with Justin Barham against Monsour and David Stallard of Northside in the doubles final.
At Hot Springs, Mitch Semones and Jamey Watt of Glenvar won the Pioneer District doubles title with an 8-6 victory over Greg Taylor and Tony Ferguson of Parry McCluer.
\ SOFTBALL: Salem used an 11-run third inning to beat Northside 22-10 at Glenvar High School in a playoff for second place in the Blue Ridge District.
Yolanda Helm, Debbie Cobb, Laura Hyer and Michele Harrison each had three hits for the Spartans (13-3), who earned a first-round bye in the tournament.
Sarah Brady's RBI triple in the bottom of the seventh gave Roanoke Catholic a 14-13 victory over visiting Berean Christian.
Elissa Smith was 4-for-4 with a homer, a double and six RBI in leading Roanoke Valley Christian (5-4) to a 17-7 victory over North Cross (9-3).
\ BOYS' SOCCER: Chad Anderson and Costas Farmakis scored goals as Roanoke Catholic defeated William Fleming 2-0 at the River's Edge Sports Complex. The Celtics are 8-3; Fleming is 1-12-1.
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on May 10, 1990\ Correction
Because of a copy editor's error in Wednesday's editions, Northside High School tennis player Aaron Church was incorrectly identified in a story on the Blue Ridge District tournament. Michelle Monsour's doubles partner for the Vikings also was incorrectly identified. Church plays doubles with Monsour.
Memo: correction