ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 24, 1996 TAG: 9604240051
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DALEVILLE
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
THE TERRIERS overcome a 2-0 deficit to shut down Lord Botetourt 7-2 in a battle of undefeated teams.
The William Byrd softball team hasn't trailed this year.
Then again, the Terriers haven't played another unbeaten team. Faced with these circumstances Tuesday, the Terriers rallied to defeat Lord Botetourt 7-2 in a showdown for first place in the Blue Ridge District and supremacy in Timesland softball.
Being behind ``got me a little scared,'' said Byrd pitcher Tamassa Adams. ``I was worried we wouldn't start hitting the ball, but we did.''
Adams was rocked for two first-inning triples and three hits overall. She settled down to throw a five-hitter as Byrd (9-0 overall, 4-0 in the district) came up with a pair of three-run innings to reverse a slow start.
``I thought Tamassa took over in the third inning after we got three runs,'' said Byrd coach Billy Meador. ``She took charge.''
``I don't think we were tense, but it worried me because we haven't faced a pitcher as good [as Botetourt's Jessica Thompson] lately.''
In the opening inning, though, Lord Botetourt (9-1, 3-1) looked as if it meant to dethrone the defending champions. Byrd had six shutouts in eight games and a possible seventh was gone after the first two hitters.
Katrinia Elliott led off with a single for the Cavaliers and scored on Valinda Vasoe's triple to left. Vasoe also scored on an overthrow from the outfield.
It almost didn't stop there. Teresa Snodgrass delivered a one-out triple, but courtesy runner Amanda Slusher was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a ground ball and Adams escaped further damage.
In the third, the Terriers scored three runs to take the lead. The inning started innocently when batter Brandi Welch reached on an infield hit just out of the reach of Thompson.
The Cavalier pitcher then walked three and hit two batters, leading to three runs. It didn't help that she was hit in the head with an errant throw and was down for nearly five minutes.
``She may have lost her focus, but Byrd is just a good team and Tamassa is a great pitcher. The best team won today, but there'll be other days,'' said Lord Botetourt coach Andy Ward.
The Terriers added a run in the fourth when Welch led off with a triple. She scored when Botetourt catcher Snodgrass threw away the ball on a pickoff play.
Byrd put away the game in the sixth as Judy Shockley got a walk and Welch had an infield hit, her third of the afternoon. After leadoff hitter Carrie Doupnik struck out, Heather Ring's single loaded the bases.
Up came Adams, one of Timesland's top hitters, whom Ward had vowed to walk rather than throw a good pitch to during the game. With no base open, Thompson was forced to pitch to Adams who singled in two runs to break open the game.
``When we got those three early runs, we didn't look good [with the bat]. But we'll take them,'' said Meador. ``Then Brandi got that big blast. That was a key.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: PAUL L. NEWBY II/Staff. William Byrd's Brandi Welchby CNBslides into home plate underneath Lord Botetourt catcher Teresa
Snodgrass in the fourth inning of Tuesday's game.