Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 12, 1990 TAG: 9007120117
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG LENGTH: Medium
The East beat the West 2-0 in a game that was dominated by pitching and rain. Unlike the American League's 2-0 victory Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, Wednesday's scheduled nine-inning game at Miller Park didn't survive the rainstorm and was called in the seventh inning with the West threatening to rally.
"To quote Charlie Brown, `Rats,' " said West coach Spike Harrison of Glenvar. "I'm going to think for the rest of my life that we could have come back and won this game."
The West had a runner on second with one out and the heart of its order coming to bat when a gust of wind and bolt of lightning forced officials to suspend play. The rain started a few minutes later, and that was the end of a game that was decided by two unearned runs.
Parry McCluer's Jenny Williams took the loss when the West defense let her down. One run scored in the fourth as Chantilly's Shannon Williams muffed a ball in left field on a single, allowing Robin Little of Princess Anne to score from first base.
The East scored again in the sixth. A ball again got by Shannon Williams in left, permitting York's Tracy Rosenburgh to go to second after she had singled. Rosenburgh then scored on a single by Hermitage's Kandy Hughes.
Meanwhile, three East pitchers held the West to one hit, a leadoff single by Shannon Williams. After that, the West was held to three runners on two walks and an error.
"We expected the pitchers to dominate," Harrison said. "This is a month after the season and at least four or five of the girls haven't played summer ball at all."
The only real threat the West had before the seventh came in the fifth, when the West had runners on first and second with one out. But Gretna's Margaret Haden struck out, and winning pitcher Jodi Rymer of Group AA champion Park View-Sterling got Magna Vista's Melissa Jordan to bounce to the shortstop.
The game, which started in hot, muggy conditions, drew a crowd of about 1,000. Mike Smith, the Hampton football coach who runs the all-star games for the VHSCA, said an attempt will be made to play the 1991 game at night.
"This was a good game for the opener," Harrison said. "I have two opinions. These were super kids. They were great athletes who if you tell them what to do, they'll do it. They did make a couple of nervous mistakes.
"Second, I saw players from other parts of the state in Group AAA which I have never seen, and they're complete players who can do everything. Evidently, they play in 60 or so games a year and they're far ahead of [players in] our end of the state."
East 0001010-250 West 0000000-014
Game called with one out in bottom of seventh because of rain.
Angulo, Rymer (3), Bailey (7) and Wilson, Umberger (4); Bowen, J. Williams (4), Martin (7) and Park, Goodman (4), Park (6), Browning (7), Park (7). W-Rymer. L-J. Williams. Sv-Bailey.
by CNB