ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 20, 1996 TAG: 9604220098
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: IN THE REGION
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
Virginia Tech scored four runs in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie and went on to down George Mason 7-4 in a college baseball game Friday in Fairfax.
Josh Herman (William Byrd) led off the inning with a double and scored when Matt Reynolds (William Byrd) doubled with two outs. After David Fitt walked, Kevin Kurilla singled home Reynolds with the second run of the inning.
Fitt stole third base and scored on a single by Chad Foutz (Franklin County). Kurilla scored the fourth run of the inning for the Hokies (24-18) on a wild pitch.
John Thomas (2-1), a punter on the football team who plans to play in Tech's spring game today, went 61/3 innings to get the win.
Mike Colangelo led George Mason (17-21) with four hits.
In other baseball:
* Ferrum used a fielding error by Christopher Newport to score two runs in the top of the ninth inning as the Panthers knocked off the Captains 5-3 in the second round of the Dixie Conference baseball tournament in Danville.
Todd Cunningham walked to lead off the ninth and Luther Headley followed with a single. Both runners scored when the center fielder misplayed the ball for the winning runs.
Jason Wilson went 3-for-5 with a run for Ferrum (27-6-1) and Riley Hodges was 2-for-4 with a run. Jimmy Hamilton (9-1) got the win.
Ferrum advanced to play Shenandoah.
SOFTBALL Radford shortstop gets honor
Radford's Melissa Pickel was named Most Valuable Player and the Highlanders' Charlie Gunther shared the coach of the year award in the Big South Conference.
Pickel, a sophomore shortstop, led the conference with 12 home runs and 54 RBI. Gunther, a Salem native in his first season as coach, guided Radford to a 33-20 record overall and a 7-8 mark in the conference. He shared the coaching honor with Liberty's Paul Wetmore.
Two Highlanders, Suzie Rath and Sheree' Fletcher, were named to the second team. Rath, a senior outfielder, batted .352 with six homers, 24 RBI and 31 steals. Fletcher, a junior pitcher, was 20-9 with a 1.84 ERA and one save.
Fletcher held third-seeded Coastal Carolina to one earned run, but sixth-seeded Radford dropped a 4-0 decision Friday in the first round of the Big South tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Vicki Dulaney threw a two-hitter at the Highlanders.
Radford's game against Winthrop was called because of rain with the Highlanders trailing 2-0. It will be resumed today at 11 a.m.
Virginia Tech honors student-athletes
Virginia Tech will honor 185 student-athletes who have excelled in academics at the Athletic Directors' Honors Breakfast today.
Special recognition will go to Tech's All-Academic team, composed of the top student-athlete in each varsity sport. Members of the team are: Britt Stoudenmire, baseball; Jim Jackson, men's basketball; Cynthia Lee, women's basketball; and Valerie Green, women's cross country.
Also, Wes Schilling, men's cross country; Jason Erwin, cheerleading; Brandon Semones, football; Robby Rasmussen, golf; and Heather Dent, women's lacrosse.
Also, Suzanne Natili, HighTechs; Ernie Scerbo, men's soccer; Allison Rendall, women's soccer; Tore Eikenes, men's swimming; and Nancy Lade, women's swimming.
Also, Daria Ivan, women's tennis; Marek Pfeil, men's tennis; Michelle Smith, women's track; Jonathan Lane, men's track; and Laura Hanner, volleyball.
Also, Donald Booth, wrestling; and Jason Clarke, managers and trainers.
* Radford gymnast Wendy Davis placed 22nd overall at the NCAA Southeast Regionals last weekend at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She posted an all-around score of 37.500, third among at-large competitors. She finished fifth in the uneven parallel bars with a score of 9.875.
* James Dudley of Lynchburg, like many of his fellow competitors, struggled on the second day of the Wrangler/B.A.S.S. National Championship on the Mississippi River near Quincy, Ill.
Dudley, who was tied for sixth after catching one fish weighing 4 pounds, 4 ounces on the first day, slipped to a tie for eighth after failing to land a bass Friday. The top five finishers receive invitations to the BASS Masters Classic from Aug.8-10 in Birmingham, Ala.
* Dirk Katstra, director of annual giving for the Virginia Student Aid Foundation since 1992, has been appointed executive director of the VSAF at the Charlottesville school.
Katstra succeeds G. Lawson Drinkard III as executive director. He is a 1991 graduate of UVa with a degree in sports management. Katstra was a four-year letterman in basketball for the Cavaliers.
The Virginia Student Aid Foundation is a non-profit organization that is the sole source of funds for athletic grants-in-aid at the university.
* The Virginia Tech women's tennis team defeated St.Bonaventure 7-0 at the Atlantic 10 Conference championships. The Hokies advance to the semifinals today against Xavier.
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