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

DATE: MONDAY, April 17, 1995                   TAG: 9504170100
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

ABBOTT WIN PUTS RADFORD IN 1ST PLACE

Radford University senior Jim Abbott tossed a complete game five-hitter, and Bill Brennan drove in three runs to lead the Highlanders to a 9-3 Big South Conference victory over North Carolina-Asheville and move Radford into first place in the league.

Abbott gave up three runs and struck out 11 in picking up his fourth consecutive victory. Billy Hillier (2-4) took the loss for UNC Asheville (9-25 overall, 0-12 conference).

The Highlanders (22-16, 9-3) trailed 2-1 going into the sixth, but rallied for three runs. Duane Filchner, who started the inning with a single, scored on Kelly Dampeer's triple to tie the score at 2. Brennan then drove in Dampeer with a double to put Radford in front, and two outs later, Brennan scored on a bloop single by Rob McCandless to give the Highlanders a 4-2 lead.

Radford put away the game with four runs in the ninth as Chris Carr began the onslaught with a solo homer. Brennan added a two-run double and Jeff Dean added an RBI double to complete the scoring.

In other sports news in the region:

Virginia Tech scored five runs in the fifth inning to break open a close game as the Hokies defeated Virginia Commonwealth 6-1 in a Metro Conference baseball game in Richmond.

Kevin Kurilla got the Hokies' first hit of the game in the fifth inning with a double and scored on a single by Matt Reynolds. Mike Terhune and Kevin Barker added RBI singles in the inning and David Fitt had an RBI double to complete the uprising.

Ron Preston (2-5) went the distance for the Hokies (23-16, 5-4), giving up one run on eight hits while striking out nine. Reynolds, Barker, Terhune and Fitt each had two hits for the Hokies. Virginia Commonwealth is 16-27, 3-9.

Terrence Smalls went 2-for-3 with two RBI as The Citadel completed a three-game sweep of VMI with a 3-1 Southern Conference victory in Charleston, S.C.

The Bulldogs (29-17, 16-5) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when David Beckley walked, stole second and scored on a throwing error by Keydets third baseman Franco Martin. VMI (15-24, 8-13) tied it at 1 when Dale Moore singled to drive in Louie Napoleon, who had doubled in his previous at-bat.

The Bulldogs regained the lead in the second when Dale Sistare crossed the plate on Smalls' groundout. Smalls' RBI single in the fourth inning provided the final margin.

Brian Callahan went eight innings, giving up six hits and one run to pick up the victory. Donald Morillo picked up his 10th save of the season, including three against the Keydets during the weekend.

W.G. Smith went the distance for the Keydets and took the loss.

by CNB