Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 16, 1993 TAG: 9306160208
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Considering it was a night game, that's pretty fast.
Rustburg (24-1) shut out the Spartans 2-0 in a quickly played state Group AA semifinal game at Salem's Moyer Complex. The Red Devils advance to the state championship game against the Tabb-Loudoun County winner.
Tuesday's game lasted only 70 minutes. It evolved into a pitchers' duel between Rustburg's Katie Phillips, a sophomore who threw six no-hitters this season, and Salem's fabulous freshman, Ronda Rankin, who finished the season 11-5.
Both pitchers were sharp, painting the corners, changing speeds and smoking most of the opposition.
Phillips, who no-hit the Spartans in the Region III championship game nine days ago, faced 25 batters, four more than the minimum in a seven-inning game. She allowed three hits (solid singles by Spartans leaders Michelle Harrison and Yolanda Helm and an infield hit by Katherine Minahan), and one batter (Helm) reached base on an error. Phillips struck out 10 and, on offense, produced the game's lone extra-base hit.
Rankin addressed only 25 batters also, likewise giving up three hits. She struck out eight Red Devils, including the opposing pitcher twice.
Phillips eventually showed she knows how to handle a bat, setting up the second run with a double in the final inning.
Both of Rustburg's runs came on unusual plays that Rustburg coach Glenn Reichard and Salem coach Jim Wright considered fortunate (or unfortunate, depending upon the perspective) breaks.
Rustburg center fielder Shannon Roberts scored the first run in the top of the sixth inning. She reached first on a mishandled bunt as Salem's second baseman Candice Munsey dropped Minahan's throw to first base.
The Red Devils' next batter, Rebecca Berg, also bunted, attempting to sacrifice Roberts to second. Salem's catcher Christina Davis threw out Berg, but Roberts did not stop at second.
She continued toward third, eyeing an open base. The Spartans' third baseman, Delinda Holliday, had charged the plate to field the bunt. Minahan saw Roberts going to third and hurriedly overthrew left fielder Jennifer Houchin, who was running toward the bag in a late effort to cover.
As the ball sailed into foul territory, Roberts raced home with what proved to be the winning run.
"Mr. Reichard was coaching third, and he saw that nobody was covering third. He yelled to me to keep on going," Roberts said.
Said Wright, "Our left fielder [Houchin] just didn't get there in time. She didn't hear me telling her to cover."
Houchin gunned down a runner at home in the seventh, keeping the score 2-0 as Salem prepared for its final chance.
"Jennifer recovered nicely," Wright said. `She made a good catch and a fine throw."
In addition to her base-running heroics, Roberts snuffed out Salem's effort to tie in the bottom of the sixth, snaring Munsey's two-out liner to center. Harrison was running from second when the ball was hit and would have scored easily if Roberts had played the ball on one hop.
Rustburg added a run in the seventh inning, as Costity Bailey was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Phillips' double and scored on an infield out.
"We faced an excellent pitcher," Reichard said. "We had to manufacture some runs tonight; we tried to steal a few. We got lucky with that bad throw."
Wright said, "I thought it was a great game. I'm glad we didn't lose 1-0, though. I would have hated to lose the game on an error."
The Spartans completed the year 21-5. \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB