Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 18, 1994 TAG: 9406180042
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: FINCASTLE LENGTH: Medium
Powhatan overcame a more than one-hour rain delay and a change of venue to subdue James River 8-6. The Knights rallied twice, but a two-run home run by Powhatan's Tina Riddle in the ninth settled this epic struggle.
Riddle was so excited, she couldn't remember if she had hit a homer before. This one flew over the head of James River centerfielder Kara Mundy and scored Tamra Blankenship, who had walked to lead off the inning.
"If Kara had been 10 feet back, the ball still would have sailed over her head," said James River coach John Shotwell.
"I was surprised," Riddle admitted. "I was just hoping to get home. I was very excited going around the bases."
"Tina's a power-hitter when she hits the ball," said Powhatan coach Marie Crump, who indicated it's all or nothing with her left fielder.
James River (20-6) trailed the Indians 5-0 going into the bottom of the fifth and appeared to be headed for a soft-landing as state runner-up. The Knights were being shutout by Powhatan strikeout pitcher Jill Owens, who had whiffed 127 hitters in 99 innings.
Owens, though, had only two strikeouts in nine innings. The Knights put the ball in play and Powhatan's defense crumbled. James River scored one unearned run in the fifth and four more in the sixth on three hits and two Indian errors.
The sixth-inning rally started when Amber Vines reached third on a two-base error by Monica Ward. Then shortstop Angie Hresan booted Angie Sink's grounder. Heather Vines followed with a run-scoring single and Tiffany Cox's pop fly fell in to score Sink, making it 5-3.
Powhatan (25-1) then failed to retire a runner on a grounder by Amber Davis, loading the bases. Stacy Brugh walked to force in a run and then designated hitter Courtney Hash got an infield hit to score Cox with the tying run. The threat ended when Mundy popped to Owens.
With a rainstorm approaching, Powhatan recaptured the lead in the eighth as Owens' two-out single scored a run to make it 7-6. Another Powhatan runner, Monica Ward, tried to score on the play and was tagged out by James River pitcher Sara Mundy in a collision at the plate, which left the Knight freshman shaken.
With three balls and no strikes on James River's Camille Arbogast to start the bottom of the eighth, the rain hit the field at James River High School. As dusk settled in and the rain ended, the game was moved 9 miles to Breckinridge School, where it hadn't rained and there were lights.
"It was a very unique game, to say the least," said Crump. "But that didn't change the game. We made mistakes, they made mistakes."
That James River was hitting Owens was no surprise. "We knew they were capable of hitting the ball. Jill's not always a strikeout pitcher against a good team," said Crump.
"We worked on a pitching machine today and were prepared for her," said Kara Mundy, who added that Glenvar's Amy Layman, whom the Knights beat in the semifinals, is just as fast.
When the game resumed, Arbogast walked. Brugh reached on a fielder's choice as Powhatan's Ward threw too late to second to get Arbogast. Hash's sacrifice moved the runners up and Kara Mundy's fly to center scored Arbogast to tie the score. But Vines grounded out, stranding the winning run on second.
In the eighth, Sara Mundy walked three and gave up the homer. She got out of a jam after Riddle's homer to give James River another shot. "She [Sara Mundy] got knocked down at home plate," said Shotwell, recalling a play that happened at another park and seemed like a distant memory. "She wasn't throwing the ball as hard."
In the bottom of the ninth, Heather Vines singled with one out, giving the Knights hope for another rally. Owens, though, whiffed Cox and got Davis to ground to second, ending this strange and bizarre game.
by CNB