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

DATE: MONDAY, May 17, 1993                   TAG: 9305170023
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

BAD DAY ALL AROUND FOR TECH BASEBALL

THE HOKIES lost to Southern Mississippi 2-1 after South Florida already had wrapped up the Metro title.\ Though Virginia Tech had been eliminated from the Metro Conference baseball race nearly an hour before its showdown with Southern Mississippi ended, the Hokies played the season to the hilt.

Southern Mississippi pitcher Bret Legrow (7-0) withstood two Hokie threats in the last two innings as the Golden Eagles held on for a 2-1 victory Sunday at English Field.

South Florida's 6-5 victory over Virginia Commonwealth already had clinched the Metro title for the Bulls. Tech (34-13 overall, 11-6 in the Metro) needed to win and needed South Florida to lose to claim the title.

Instead Tech falls into a second-place tie with Southern Mississippi (32-24, 11-6) going into the conference tournament at Richmond. Southern Miss, though, will be seeded second by virtue of winning two of the three games from Tech. The Hokies will play host VCU in a first-round game Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

Legrow, a transfer from Central Arkansas Community College, allowed only one baserunner in the first seven innings. Tech third baseman Bo Durkac beat out a grounder in the first inning. After a fly ball by right fielder J.R. Hawkins backed Southern Mississippi's Andy Woodward against the fence for a long out, Legrow started a string of 19 straight outs.

"I kind of thought about that [infield hit] because I had a good stretch in there," Legrow said. "I normally don't do that."

While Legrow isn't the ace of the Southern Mississippi staff, the right-hander pitched like one.

"He ate us up," Virginia Tech coach Chuck Hartman said. "He kept us off balance and did a great job. We had a chance to beat him with one swing of the bat, but didn't do it."

In the final two innings, it began to unravel for Legrow. In the eighth, shortstop Dee Dalton led off with a single between third and short to end Legrow's streak of outs. After designated hitter Josh Herman flied to center, first baseman Ken Nonamaker and second baseman Fred Hatfield, both left-handed hitters, got singles with Dalton scoring on the last one to make it 2-1.

Legrow struck out pinch hitter David Fitt and got center fielder Mike Reedy on a grounder to get out of the jam.

Defense failed Lewgrow in the ninth. Tech catcher Denny Hedspeth led off with a single to left. He would have been out at second on Durkac's sacrifice attempt, but Southern Mississippi third baseman Jason Simpson threw the ball away.

Hawkins flied to center, Dalton struck out and Herman hit a grounder to shortstop David Gautreau on what should have been the final out. He booted it, loading the bases, before Nonamaker grounded to second.

Tech starting pitcher Ron Preston lived on the edge, giving up 12 hits and two walks. But Tech pulled off three double plays and Preston had four inning-ending strikeouts.

Keywords:
BASEBALL

by CNB