Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 1, 1994 TAG: 9406010055
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: M.J. Dougherty
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The large white spheres are flying around recreation fields almost every day and night throughout the New River Valley. Tournaments. Open leagues. Church leagues. No matter how you divide it, everyone can participate.
Just this past week, leagues opened their season in Radford and Christiansburg. Meanwhile, another week of play meant another team falling from the ranks of the unbeaten in Pulaski.
Christ Lutheran-Radford Presbyterian-Grace Episcopal (LPE) holds the top spot in the early going of the Radford Church League. LPE edged First Christian 19-18 in nine innings and downed Newbern Community Christian 21-6.
First Baptist (1-0) and St. Jude (1-0) both won their only completed games. But they lost one to nature when darkness caused their season-opener to be suspended. The game will be completed at a later date.
Ken and Barbs (3-0) and Southern Classic Car Wash (3-0) are tied for first in the Christiansburg Men's Open League. Ken and Barbs had a close call against Harris Teeter/Coca-Cola, winning 8-6. Its other two wins came by 15 and 14 runs.
Southern has been even more dominating. After beating Dominion Skates 9-2 in the season-opener, the Car Wash team scored 21 and 26 runs in a pair of easy wins.
Country Coaches (2-0) is also unbeaten and just a half game out of the lead.
Athletes Choice (8-0) and Golden Corral (7-0) used big offenses to stay in the front of the field in the Pulaski Men's League.
A.C. blasted 17 home runs as it routed Budweiser 42-14. MATT DEAN became just the third player in league history to have a five-homer game, joining DON MARTIN (1978) and DAVID ALDERMAN (1990). Alderman proved he could still hit them out with four long shots for the fourth time in his career while going 7-for-7 and scoring six runs.
JEFF REYNOLDS went 4-for-4 with a home run as Athlete's Choice downed Heilig-Meyers 27-6. And CONLEY HICKS pitched A.C. past the Hustlers 9-2.
Meanwhile, Golden Corral jumped out in front by 23 runs and hung on to beat the Daz Tech Outlaws 23-11. PERRY REESE had a pair of three-run home runs in the game, giving him 192 round-trippers for his career.
Earlier last week, the Outlaws had been knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten. JOE FRYE paced a seven homer attack with two home runs as Volvo GM downed Daz Tech 13-9.
The pitching performances of the week belonged to WALTER QUESENBERRY and JOHN HAGEE. Quesenberry allowed just a second-inning run as Satellite Services beat Budweiser 17-1. Quesenberry also helped himself by going 3-for-3 at the plate. Meanwhile, Hagee got good support from his fellow Raiders as they downed the Swamp Rats 18-1.
A correction. After a review of the scorebook, it turns out that Golden Corral (18) and Volvo GM (9) combined for 27 home runs in their 34-19 slugfest a couple of weeks back - two more than had previously been reported. Golden Corral's Reese and BILL LYONS of Volvo GM each had three round-trippers instead of two.
PLAY BALL !: Another sure sign that summer is on the way is when youth baseball starts to take center stage. That happened last weekend at Loving Field in Pulaski as the Dixie Youth Baseball season got underway.
In the Dixie Minors (ages 8-10), CHANCE RATCLIFF of the Astros provided some of the more memorable highlights. Ratcliff pitched a no-hitter to beat the Pirates 4-1. He struck out 16 in the six-inning game. T.J. THORNTON accounted for most of the Astros' scoring, knocking in two runs and stealing home for another.
Ratcliff had three hits, including a three-run homer, in support of the shutout pitching of DERRICK SARTIN.
The Braves put an end to the Astros strong start with a 6-3 win as TRAVIS QUESENBERRY struck out 12.
That leaves the A's the only unbeaten team. MIKE DALTON had five RBI in the team's two wins.
In Dixie Majors (10-12), the Braves edged the Mudcats 9-8 as TODD SOUTHERN singled home JUSTIN BARKLEY, who had tripled, with the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning. KELLEN WOHLFORD had four hits to lead the high-scoring Braves over the Yankees 10-7. But ADAM ROOP and the Bombers stopped the Braves 8-5. Roop scored three runs and pitched three scoreless innings.
And in the Dixie Boys (13-14), the Cardinals are off to a 2-0 start. KELLY MEADOWS and PHILLIP HAYES each scored five runs as the Cards downed the Braves 27-9. Then JOHN MANUEL delivered a tie-breaking hit in the sixth inning as the Cardinals slipped past the Giants 10-8.
SPIKES AND SERVES SET: Spots and Smashers tied for first in the Christiansburg Coed Volleyball League this spring with identical 24-6 records. So it was only fitting the two teams met to decide the tournament title last week.
After two close games, Spots emerged victorious, 15-10, 16-14.
In their lone regular-season match-up, Smashers had won two of three games.
WATER SPORTS: The Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring a canoe trip down the Little River on June 18. The cost is $15 per person or $25 per couple. The registration deadline is June 13. For more information, call RANDY BOUSH at 382-6980.
CAMPS REVISITED: Radford University will sponsor 13 youth sports camps in the next two months, covering basketball, baseball and soccer. All camps are held at the Dedmon Center Complex. For more information on the camps, call the Athletic Department at 831-5228.
Girls' Basketball: Competitive Position Camp on June 10-12 (for ages 10-18); Shooting Camp on June 17-19; Individual Camp on June 26-30; Team Camp on July 27-31.
Boys' Basketball (RU Men's Coach RON BRADLEY): Team Camp on June 19-23; Individual Camp on July 17-21.
Baseball (RU Coach SCOTT GINES): Youth Hitting Camp on June 14-16 (for ages 8-14); Father-Son Weekend Camp on June 17-18 (for ages 7-12); Youth All-Star Camp on June 20-24 (for ages 7-12); Pitcher-Catcher Camp on June 24-25 (for ages 8-17).
Soccer (RU Men's Coach SPENCER SMITH and RU Women's Coach LISA O'BRIEN): Pee-Wee Camp on July 4-8 (for ages 5-7); Day Camp on July 11-15 (for ages 8-18); Boarding Camp on July 17-22 (for ages 8-18).
CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS:The Pulaski Parks and Recreation Department has a limited number of scholarships for the annual "Gary Clark Just Say No Sports Camp" on June 19-25 at James Madison University in Harrisonburg.
With the scholarship, the cost of the camp is $100 and transportation is provided. The regular cost is $350. Two scholarships are available.
For more information, call 980-1000 Ext. 47, or leave a message on the town's Sports Information Line at 980-8343.
ROAD RUNNING: Summer also means the Premier Bank 5K race in Shawsville. The 13th annual race will be July 4 at 8 a.m.
The top three men and women finishers receive trophies. The top three male and female runners in each of the 12 age groups will receive medals.
The entry fee is $10 before July 1. Race day sign-up costs $12. All paid entrants receive a T-shirt.
This race is a fund raiser for the cross country and track teams at Shawsville High School. For more information, call MARVIN BALLARD at 268-2262 during school hours or ED and REBECCA SEARS at 268-1404 after school.
by CNB