ROANOKE TIMES

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

DATE: FRIDAY, May 26, 1995                   TAG: 9505260080
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


DOUPNIK PITCHES TERRIERS TO TITLE

Tracy Doupnik threw a one-hitter in a semifinal and a four-hitter in the title game to lead William Byrd to the Blue Ridge District softball championship at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem on Thursday.

Doupnik struck out five and walked one as the Terriers pounded Alleghany 16-1 in a semifinal. She struck out nine and walked one as William Byrd beat Lord Botetourt 9-2 in the championship game. In the final, Wendy Hayden and Dawn Walton each had two RBI for the Terriers.

In the semifinal, Carrie Doupnik and Wendy Belcher each went 3-for-3 in a game shortened to five innings.

In the second semifinal, Jessica Thompson threw a three-hitter and went 1-for-3 with two RBI as Lord Botetourt downed Salem 7-3. Salem took a 3-1 lead but the Cavaliers battled back as Tessa Snodgrass had two hits and one RBI in a three-run third. Lord Botetourt scored twice in the fourth and once in the sixth to secure the victory.

Nikki Long went 2-for-3 with two RBI for Salem.

William Byrd and Lord Botetourt move on to the Region III tournament at Rustburg High School Monday at 5 p.m. William Byrd will receive a bye for the first round of the Region III tournament and Lord Botetourt will face the Piedmont District runner-up.

Baseball

NEW RIVER DISTRICT:In Christiansburg, Brian McFarland tossed a one-hitter to power Christiansburg to a 5-1 win over Blacksburg in the New River District tournament championship.

McFarland surrendered a triple to Shane Beamer, the game's first batter, who later scored on an error. Blue Demon rightfielder Chris Epperly had a 3-run double in the first inning to give Christiansburg (9-8-1) the lead for good.

The Blue Demons won their second straight NRD title under second-year coach Chris Lucas, who announced this week he is resigning as Christiansburg's baseball coach. Lucas is getting married on July 1 and will be moving to Columbus, Ohio.

The Blue Demons get a bye in the Region IV first round and will host the Abingdon-Grundy winner next Thursday. Blacksburg (5-14) plays host to Virginia High on Tuesday.

THREE RIVERS DISTRICT:Floyd County rallied for five runs in the top of the seventh to erase a two-run deficit and beat Giles 7-4 in the tournament championship game at Dedmon Center Park in Radford.

The Buffaloes got four straight hits from Josh Burton, Peter Bucklin, Robert Farve and Jason Pratt and benefited from two walks by Giles pitcher Josh Stephens in scoring their five runs.

Both teams advance to the Region C tournament. The Spartans host Patrick Henry-Glade Spring from the Hogoheegee District. Floyd County plays at Bath County, the No.1 seed from the Pioneer District.

MOUNTAIN EMPIRE DISTRICT:Top-seeded Grayson County beat Galax 13-0 and Bland slipped past Fort Chiswell 8-7 in the Mountain Empire District semifinals at Calfee Park. The Blue Devils and Rockets, who meet for the MED championship tonight, advance to the Region C tournament.

Wes Self allowed two hits and struck out nine in Grayson County's five-inning win. Brian McDonald had an inside-the-park three-run homer in the Blue Devils' seven-run first inning.

In Bland's victory, Keith Hancock doubled home Bradley Tate in the fifth inning with what proved to be the winning run. Bland plays at Lebanon next week.

Tate got aboard after being hit by a pitch. He went to second on a balk, to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Hancock's double as Bland (11-5) took an 8-3 lead.

Fort Chiswell (9-9) pulled to 8-7 with a four-run rally in the sixth inning, including Mikey White's a three-run homer that scored Gary Arnold and Keith Blair, but the Pioneers got no closer.

Soccer

REGION IV:Jay Ware scored on the 18th kick of a sudden-death shootout to lift Christiansburg to a 5-4 win over Virginia High in a Region C semifinal at Bristol. The Blue Demons travel to Blacksburg for the region championship Saturday at 6 p.m. The Indians beat Marion 5-0 behind two goals and an assist from Kurt Williams in the other semifinal at Blacksburg.



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