Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 26, 1995 TAG: 9505260090
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK BULLOCK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT LENGTH: Medium
Cave Spring won the Roanoke Valley District baseball tournament 9-3 over Franklin County on Thursday despite getting only five hits and striking out 11 times.
But the Knights rode the pitching of right-hander Robey Caldwell and some timely hits to the championship.
Caldwell (9-1) struck out at least one batter in every inning but the fifth and had a shutout until the seventh, when Larry Bowles belted a high fastball over the right-field fence to put the Eagles on the scoreboard.
Caldwell, Timesland's leader in strikeouts, added nine to his season total.
Cave Spring (11-9) will host a Northwest Region game Monday, and Franklin County (15-5) will travel to Northern Virginia for a regional game.
It was the fourth time this season the Knights defeated the Eagles.
Cave Spring defeated Pulaski County 10-1 in the semifinals, and Franklin County advanced to the championship game by holding off Patrick Henry 10-9.
The Knights had hits in only three innings, but took advantage of seven walks, three errors and four wild pitches to make the Eagles pay for their mistakes.
Doug Kenney cracked a bases-loaded triple in the third inning to give Cave Spring a 3-0 lead, and the Knights added four runs in the fourth despite getting only one hit. Robert Kaczmarek provided a clutch two-out, two-run single to give Caldwell a cushion.
The other key hit was a two-run single by Greg Lyons in the fifth that put the game out of reach.
Caldwell did the rest, getting strikeouts to end the first, fourth and sixth innings, each time with two runners on base. In the fifth inning, left fielder Abe Agee saved at least one run by making a fine sliding catch to end the inning.
Chad Foutz was the player of the game for Franklin County. He had two hits, including a triple, and struck out seven in 31/3 innings of relief pitching.
Franklin County 10, Patrick Henry 9: The Eagles squandered an 8-0 lead and held on for a semifinal victory. Gray Hodges and Foutz had two hits each and the Eagles scored three in the first inning and four in the third to seize command. Ben Markwood and Mike Sisler had two hits and two RBI each for the Patriots (5-15).
Cave Spring 10, Pulaski County 1: Agee had two hits and Kaczmarek had three hits and four RBI as the Knights rolled over the Cougars (12-7). Kenney added three hits and was the winning pitcher.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB