Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 21, 1995 TAG: 9505230034
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
These days, she pitches them.
Paoli, a 24-year-old junior for the Bloomsburg (Pa.) University softball team, has found her artistic niche, evidenced by her six no-hitters and two perfect games this season. Today, she tries to put the finishing touches on a wonderful season in the finals of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship at the Moyer Sports Complex.
Paoli and the second-seeded Huskies advanced to today's championship round at 1 p.m. with a 2-1 win over top-ranked Humboldt State on Saturday. The Huskies are unbeaten in the tournament and need only to win one game against Kennesaw State to claim the first NCAA title for coach Jan Hutchinson, who has been to the Division II championship five other times.
Kennesaw State advanced to the finals by beating Humboldt State 4-2 in an elimination game. The Owls must beat Bloomsburg twice today to take the title.
Despite a badly bruised ankle that has troubled her throughout the tournament, Paoli will pitch again today. Paoli is 37-1 and has won her past 31 games. Her 405 strikeouts are the third-most in Division II history.
If there's such a thing as a precocious 24-year-old, it's Paoli, a free-spirited, transplanted California girl, who sounds like Betty Boop and punctuates every other sentence with a giggle. Those mannerisms belie the competitive nature on the field that made her a first-team Division II All-American this season.
Not bad for a player who was told by her high school coach that she would never make it as a college pitcher.
Paoli took those words literally. She didn't play softball for an entire year after graduating from Vintage High School in American Canyon, Calif., opting instead to take a few classes at a local community college.
``I was discouraged,'' Paoli said. ``My spirit was crushed. I didn't feel like playing.''
For the next three years, she went to school part-time and worked odd jobs. She made sandwiches at a delicatessen and worked with tiger sharks at Marine World.
Paoli eventually joined a local summer league and immediately impressed one of her coaches, who asked Paoli if she was interested in playing junior college ball.
``I said, `Sure, I've got nothing else to do,''' she said.
She played two years at Delta Junior College before transferring to Bloomsburg this year. While at Delta, she gained noteriety for throwing a riseball and being a screwball.
A superstitious sort, she refused to wash her socks during Delta's 22-game winning streak a couple of years ago.
``It was disgusting,'' said Brenda Moffat, who caught for Paoli at Delta and now catches for Bloomsburg. ``Her socks were turning green and had holes. We convinced her to change them. We won a few more games before we lost. She still blamed [the loss] on changing her socks.''
Paoli may be practicing better hygiene during her current streak but she hasn't changed her winning ways. Against Humboldt State, she scattered six hits and struck out six batters. Melissa Lee's two-run homer in the fourth inning was all the run support Paoli needed.
Humboldt State scored its lone run in the sixth when Apple Gomez doubled and scored on Jennifer Fritz's third hit.
That kept Paoli from recording her 20th shutout. Still, it was another work of art.
``She's the best,'' said Moffat, ``but I don't believe she thinks that.'' Admission for today's championship is $5 for adults, $3 for students 18 and under.
In other games Saturday:
Kennesaw State 4, Humboldt State 2: The Owls, who lost the tournament opener, advanced to the finals with their third straight win. It was the second win of the day for the Owls, who also beat Wisconsin-Parkside 9-1.
With the score tied 2-2, Nada Hlohovsky doubled home the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh and later scored on Colleen Thorburn's single.
Humboldt State (53-10), the nation's top-ranked team, led 2-0 on Apple Gomez's two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth. Kennesaw State (51-5) took advantage of the Lumberjacks' miscues to tie the score in the sixth. Hlohovsky singled and advanced to third on a throwing error. Cara Dornstauder singled home a run, then Thorburn scored on another error to make it 2-2.
Rafter (30-5) scattered six hits and struck out six. In 13 innings Saturday, she allowed three runs, 11 hits and struck out 13.
Kennesaw State 9, Wisconsin-Parkside 1: Colleen Thorburn homered and Kelly Rafter allowed five hits and struck out seven as the Owls eliminated the Rangers in a game shortened to six innings because of the eight-run lead rule.
Shannon McDonough's two-run triple highlighted Kennesaw State's four-run fourth inning. The win avenged a 2-1 first-round loss the Owls suffered to Wisconsin-Parkside (45-13), a loss that ended Kennesaw State's Division II-record 40-game winning streak.
by CNB