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

DATE: SUNDAY, May 23, 1993                   TAG: 9305230145
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: D-7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT, N.C.                                LENGTH: Medium

FERRUM OUSTED IN REGIONAL 5-3

Poor starting pitching and shoddy base-running ended the Ferrum baseball team's dream of advancing to the NCAA Division III World Series on Saturday.

North Carolina Wesleyan won 5-3 after taking advantage of Chris Allen's wildness to score four runs in the fourth inning. The Panthers ran themselves out of a potential big inning in the sixth.

The Battling Bishops (29-9), who finished unbeaten in the double-elimination regional tournament, advance to the Division III World Series, which starts Thursday in Battle Creek, Mich.

The Panthers, who had beaten Guilford College 10-5 earlier Saturday to remain in the tournament, finished their season at 23-10. They had won two of three games against N.C. Wesleyan before Saturday.

After three scoreless innings, N.C. Wesleyan got things started with two outs against Allen (1-3) in the fourth, loading the bases on a single, a bunt single and a walk. Allen walked the next two batters, forcing in two runs. Tom D'Aquila's two-run single finished off Allen and made it 4-0.

The Bishops boosted their lead to 5-0 in the fifth on Rahman Turner's RBI double off Ferrum reliever Luke Schmidt.

Keith Mayhew, who had kept the Panthers in the tournament by pitching a three-hit shutout over Methodist College on Friday, relieved Schmidt with none out in the fifth and kept the Panthers within striking distance by pitching 3 scoreless innings.

Ferrum squandered chances in the sixth against winner Rodney Granger (5-2). Matt Smith led off with a single but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Chad France singled and came home on Chad Maddox's double. Maddox was thrown out trying to stretch the double into a triple. A flyout ended the inning.

Ferrum scored twice in the seventh to cut the Bishops' lead to 5-3. Granger then was relieved by Steve Robertson, who struck out two batters and got a third on a popup to wriggle out of a two-on, none-out situation.

Ferrum played most of the game without coach Abe Naff, who was thrown out in the fourth inning after arguing a call.

by CNB