ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 24, 1996 TAG: 9603260014
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS IN THE REGION
Virginia Tech center Billy Conaty, a rising senior, fractured his left ankle on the opening day of spring football practice.
Conaty will be sidelined the entire spring, but should be ready to go at full speed in the fall.
Conaty fractured his right ankle in a victory over Virginia last November, but played in the Sugar Bowl a month later. Tim Wade and John Matesic will fill in for Conaty this spring.
LACROSSE Generals roll over Bowdoin
Washington and Lee jumped out to a 13-2 halftime lead and went on to defeat Bowdoin 19-5 in a non-conference men's lacrosse game in Lexington.
Jason Myers and Ande Jenkins scored four goals each for the Generals (6-1). Myers had two assists and Jenkins added another.
Washington and Lee dropped a 10-9 decision to Denison in a women's lacrosse game in Lexington.
The Generals (5-1) were led by Erika Snyder and Lorraine Taurassi, who tallied two goals each.
BASEBALL N.C. State nips Va. Tech 3-2
Virginia Tech's ninth-inning rally failed as it dropped a 3-2 non-conference baseball game to 14th-ranked N.C. State.
The Hokies (7-10) loaded the bases in the top of the ninth but couldn't score.
Tech scored two runs in the first on a Kevin Barker home run. The Wolfpack (24-3) tied it at two in the third. N.C. State scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
VMI dropped two games to Western Carolina in Southern Conference action in Cullowhee, N.C.
Matt Stillwell's three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth lifted the Catamounts (18-13-1 overall, 10-3 conference) to an 8-6 win in the first game. VMI (7-17, 3-7) lost the second game 3-1 in seven innings, managing only four hits.
Western Carolina extended its unbeaten streak to 11 games with the wins.
Radford lost both games of a twin bill with UNC Greensboro in a Big South Conference matchup in Radford.
In the first game, the Spartans (14-13, 2-0) took advantage of 11 Highlander walks in a 7-6 win that took eight innings. In the second game, Radford (3-13, 0-2) managed only two hits in a 4-0 loss.
Ferrum defends title
Ferrum won the nine-team Eastern Mennonite Invitational for the second consecutive year with an 8-7 softball victory over Bridgewater in the championship game.
Ferrum (8-9) defeated Eastern Mennonite 10-8 earlier in the day to advance to the title game. Second baseman Audra Freeman, center fielder Julie Shifflett and pitcher Robin Sutphin made the All-Tournament team for the Panthers.
Radford knocked off Maryland-Baltimore County 2-1 in the championship game of the Radford Invitational at Moyer Sports Complex.
The Highlanders won their tournament for the first time in its three-year existence. The Highlanders (28-13) won the championship on Lori Reilly's solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Virginia Tech (5-13) was eliminated by Liberty 6-1. Former Cave Spring athletes Beth Drombetta and Jennie Kallio led the way for the Hokies. Drombetta went 2-for-2 with a sacrifice and Kallio tossed a complete game, allowing two earned runs and scattering seven hits.
Hokies set school records
The Virginia Tech track and field teams broke or tied five school records at the Wake Forest Invitational.
Hilliard Sumner won the 400-meter dash in 47.17 seconds, a meet record. Jason Fullmer finished second in the 110 hurdles to set a school record and won the 400 hurdles.
Paula Allan won the discus, setting a school record in the process. Sophomore Katie Ollendick (Blacksburg) finished second in the high jump, matching the outdoor record for the event.
The Roanoke women's track and field team took first place in the four-team Roanoke Invitational.
Roanoke bettered second-place Hartwick by 28 points.
Renae Rose of Roanoke was selected as the women's Most Outstanding Athlete. Sandy Hudson (Franklin County) won both the 100-meter high hurdles and the 400 hurdles.
Roanoke College's men's team finished fourth out of six teams with 65 points. The University of Rochester won the meet with 205 points. The bright spot for the Maroons was Courtney Fitch's first-place finishes in the high jump and long jump.
Washington and Lee junior Nathan Hottle earned his third All-American award when he finished eighth in the 200-meter breast stroke at the NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships at Emory University in Atlanta.
Hottle already has earned All-American honors in the 200 individual medley and 100 breast stroke.
He was the defending national champion in the 200 breast stroke. Hottle also earned three All-American honors at last year's competition.
Roanoke native Carolyn Bucher finished 17th in the 200-yard individual medley at the Junior Nationals swim meet in Nashville, Tenn.
Bucher finished the event in 2 minutes, 6.14 seconds on the final day of competition. Bucher trains in Brandon, Fla., where she swims for the Brandon Blue Waves.
LENGTH: Long : 108 linesby CNB