Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 21, 1993 TAG: 9304210047
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. DOUGHERTY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Now the Radford University softball team enters the second season looking to make things interesting for the competition.
The Highlanders will conclude their second season as a varsity team with the Big South Conference tournament in Buies Creek, N.C., Thursday through Saturday.
How well they fare at the tournament will depend in a large part on how ready they are when the umpire yells, "Play ball!"
"We have to keep our heads in the game," said outfielder Suzie Rath.
Added shortstop Michelle Malebranche: "We have to go into the games with a positive attitude. We can't get down on ourselves."
Another key for Radford will be whether or not its sleeping bats awaken for the tournament.
"We've been in a slump lately," said coach Jeff Woods after the Highlanders managed just one run in a doubleheader loss to Charleston Southern last Friday.
"We haven't been hitting the ball as well as we were earlier in the year. And we've not been able to get that key hit when we have someone in scoring position."
But there are positives as well for Radford:
The squad entered last weekend already having tied last year's victory total of six going into Tuesday evening's regular-season finale against Virginia.
And pitcher Kerrie Pingley, who has five of those wins, is expected back from injury.
\ MORE SOFTBALL: Rath led the Big South and was 10th in the nation last week in hitting with a .475 batting average. She was also second in the country with 25 stolen bases.
"I had no idea what to expect [before the season]," Rath said. "I'm just glad I could help out."
Rath added that she was going to stop checking her average though because she starts slumping whenever she reads the stats sheet.
\ BASEBALL: While the softball squad is going to the post-season, the Highlander baseball team must finish in the top six in conference wins to make it to Big South tournament in at Coastal Carolina in Conway, S.C.
Radford helped its cause last weekend by taking two out of three from then-conference leading Winthrop.
But the Highlanders' performance against Maryland-Baltimore County Saturday and Sunday will have a decided impact on whether they make post-season plans.
"Still, we've got to play very, very well," said coach Scott Gines.
"UMBC is an outstanding baseball team. We're going to see some great pitching and they're one of the best offensive teams in the league."
After that, the Highlanders have only two more opportunities for conference victories - a doubleheader against Liberty, May 5 at Calfee Park.
The conference standings through Sunday: Coastal Carolina 10 wins, Winthrop 9, Radford 8, Campbell 8, UMBC 7, Towson State 7, Liberty 6, Charleston Southern 6, and UNC-Asheville 3.
\ A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING: Senior forward Steve Govett scored a goal in the lacrosse team's season finale, an 11-10 overtime loss against Virginia Tech.
He finished his career with a school-record 118 goals - 27 more than the previous record held by Tom Branch.
Michelle Malebranche pulled double-duty this spring by participating in the conference women's golf tournament.
"She played in the fall, it wasn't any big to-do," said golf coach - and softball assistant coach - Matt Sutphin. "She wanted to play."
Malebranche shot a 214 and the Highlanders finished sixth in the six-team tournament with a two-day total of 756.
The men's golf team had better luck at the 15th annual Lacey Gane Pembroke State University Invitational recently. It finished second with a round of 300, two strokes behind St. Augustine's.
Highlander Chris Cantone captured the medalist honors on the second playoff hole after shooting a 71. Ryan Konkus finished fourth with a 73 while David Martin was ninth at 75.
Freshman pitcher Jay Hensley has been invited to join the Pony League all-star team competing in the first annual National Amateur All-Star Baseball tournament, June 24-27 in Battle Creek, Mich.
Hensley is 3-1 with a 6.16 earned run average and 18 strikeouts in 38 innings this spring for Radford.
\ UPCOMING BASEBALL IN RADFORD: Today vs. Virginia Intermont, 3 p.m.; Thursday vs. James Madison, 3 p.m.; Saturday vs. UMBC (2), 1 p.m.; Sunday vs. UMBC, 1 p.m.; Tuesday, vs. Richmond, 3 p.m.
May 5 vs. Liberty (2, at Calfee Park in Pulaski), 5 p.m.; May 7 vs. Milligan, 2 pm.; May 8 vs. Milligan (2), 1 p.m.; May 9 vs. Virginia Intermont (2), 1 p.m.
M.J. Dougherty writes about sports for the Roanoke Times & World-News' New River Valley bureau.
by CNB