Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 18, 1993 TAG: 9306180046
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Is Jason Anderson's left arm about to fall off?
The Highlanders are hanging their state Group A championship hopes - again - on that rocket launcher when they face Rappahannock High School at 4:30 p.m. today at Salem High School.
Who better to ask than the southpaw in question?
"After Saturday's game, it was real sore," Anderson said of his left arm. "After Tuesday's game, I figured it would be killing me. But it hasn't hurt at all."
Funny thing about those games. Anderson hurled 150 pitches in seven innings to subdue Honaker 5-4 on Saturday in a quarterfinal. Tuesday, in a rematch of the Region C title game, Glenvar needed nine long innings to beat Castlewood again 2-1. Anderson, coming back on two days rest, threw 30 fewer pitches.
So he says he's sound after throwing 26 of Glenvar's 30 innings in the state tournament. But how much farther can he go?
"One more game . . . ," Glenvar coach Larry Wood said. " . . . I hope."
One guy can speak with authority on these matters: Joey Hutton, the Highlanders' catcher.
"Surprisingly enough, he's been getting stronger," Hutton said. "I don't know if it's adrenaline or what. I hope he keeps it going, because he's been throwing it harder and harder as the year went on."
As Anderson has improved, so has Glenvar. After an 0-4-1 start, the Highlanders have won 16 consecutive games.
"That start really brought us down to earth," Hutton said. "It helped us."
Some of the Highlanders would dispute that contention, but no one is debating the fact that Glenvar has developed into a great clutch team.
The Highlanders have won all four region and state games in their last at-bat, with three consecutive game-winning hits by Rob Robinson.
As for Rappahannock (20-2), its only losses came to Northern Neck District rival Essex, once during the regular season and once in the final of the district tournament, when Essex romped 11-2. Rappahannock hasn't lost since, beating Essex 1-0 in eight innings to win the Region A crown and 3-1 in a state semifinal.
Rappahannock's ace is right-hander Jason Morris, a junior in a senior-dominated lineup. Morris won Tuesday's game and, like Anderson, is expected to come back today on short rest.
Some ominous words on that topic from Anderson, an All-Timesland pitcher who has a 10-1 record with a 1.00 earned run average and 142 strikeouts in 77 innings:
"It seems like the best games I've pitched have been on the shortest rest."
Today is put-up time.
Said Wood: "We feel like if we have one run and he's on the mound, we're going to beat you."
by CNB