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

DATE: SATURDAY, February 11, 1995                   TAG: 9502140043
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GAMECOCKS DEFEAT VMI IN BASEBALL

Three South Carolina pitchers combined on a four-hitter as the Gamecocks opened the 1995 baseball season on Friday with a 6-2 victory over VMI in Charleston, S.C., in the first game of the Southern Challenge.

Jim Stoops started and picked up the win for the Gamecocks (1-0). He gave up three hits, two runs and struck out six.

South Carolina jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings. VMI (0-1) pulled to within two in the fifth on a two-run error by USC center fielder Mike Denzenzo, but the Gamecocks put away the game with single runs in both the sixth and seventh innings.

Ryan Glynn suffered the loss for the Keydets, giving up 10 hits and all six runs while striking out eight.

In other sports in the region:

Radford's Christie Epperly set one school record and tied another, but Radford's women's gymnastics team lost to William and Mary 182.5 to 181.925 in Radford. Epperly, from Cave Spring High School, set the school record with a 9.8 score in the floor exercise. The previous record was 9.775. Epperly also tied the Radford record with a 9.7 in the balance beam.

Washington and Lee won three of five events in the first day of the three-day Old Dominion Athletic Conference/Atlantic States Conference Swimming Championships in Lexington.

The Generals captured the 200 freestyle relay, the 400 medley and the 500 freestyle as they amassed 243 points. Radford is a distant second at 136, followed by Sweet Briar (129), Hollins (125), Notre Dame (116), Randolph-Macon Woman's (82) and Mary Baldwin (64).

Ferrum will honor the late Grant Hudson, formerly coach of the Panthers' basketball team, at a halftime ceremony during today's home game against Christopher Newport. Hudson coached the Panthers from 1977-85 and had a career record of 175-59 at the school. He led the Panthers to the Junior College national championship tournament in 1982 and 1985 and was named Regional Coach of the Year both years.

A limited number of tickets remain available for the Old Dominion Athletic Conference men's basketball banquet, which will be held Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the Salem Civic Center's Community room.

The ODAC men's tournament begins at the civic center the following day with four quarterfinal games.

Banquet tickets are $10. Former Wake Forest coach and ACC telecast commentator Bones McKinney is the guest speaker, and the All-ODAC men's team will be announced, along with the league's player, coach and freshman of the year. To reserve tickets, call the ODAC's Salem office at 387-9073.

by CNB