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

DATE: THURSDAY, July 12, 1990                   TAG: 9007120247
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

EAST RALLIES TO WIN 7-6 IN BASEBALL

But the East foiled his all-around performance Wednesday with a three-run, ninth-inning rally to win the Virginia High School Coaches' Association baseball all-star game 7-6.

The West broke a 4-4 tie with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. But Newstrom, who had pitched three scoreless innings of relief, was replaced by Buckingham County's Quincy Booker in the ninth inning. That's when the East's rally began.

After Booker retired one batter, consecutive singles by Louisa County's Steve Blankenship, Dinwiddie's Billy Maitland and Randolph-Henry's Carlton Reed made the score 6-5. Then, West second baseman Antonio Nelson of Albemarle bobbled the throw on a force play at second.

Maitland, who had moved to third on the error, then scored the tying run on a wild pitch by reliever Chris Nesselroade of Chatham. Reed scored the winning run from third on a groundout to short by Andrew Shattuck of Kecoughtan.

Maitland then pitched a perfect ninth to preserve the victory.

"I'm not going to tell you I knew we'd score three runs in the top of the ninth to win, but I knew they wouldn't quit," said East coach Stan Latham of Sussex Central.

Reed, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored, was selected the Most Valuable Player for the game.

"We felt they had the best pitching, and we felt we would have to rally," said Reed, who is undecided about his college plans. "[In the ninth], I was trying to stay in the ballgame, work for a walk, a single or something to keep the guys going, keep the guys alive."

Newstrom, from W.T. Woodson High in Fairfax, nearly overshadowed the winners. He started the game at first base before taking the mound in the sixth inning. He drove in a first-inning run, kept alive a sixth-inning rally during which the West scored the go-ahead run and pitched three innings of scoreless relief. He left with his team leading 6-4.

The East led 4-2 in the fifth when Reed drove in Monacan's John Eliasek with a single. Eliasek had singled and stolen second.

In the bottom of the fifth, the West rallied to tie it at 4.

Bath County's Chris Williams started at second base for the West and went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored. Shawsville's Tony Lovern pinch hit for the West in the eighth inning and struck out.

East 021010003-7113 West 200022000-6103

MacMillan, Belfield (4), Phillips (7, Maitland (8) and Strelau, Rose (4), Strelau (7); Bestick, Haywood (4), Newstrom (6), Booker (9), Nesselroade (9) and Evans, Cassell (4). W-Maitland. L-Booker. HR-Maitland (E), third, none on.