ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 28, 1996 TAG: 9604290112
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
Virginia Tech's baseball team clinched first place in the West Division of the Atlantic 10 Conference by sweeping a doubleheader from La Salle on Saturday in Philadelphia.
Brian Fitzgerald and Sean Hummel pitched complete games for the Hokies (31-20 overall, 15-3 conference), and Tech hitters combined for 29 hits.
In the first game, Fitzgerald (6-5) gave up four hits and one run and struck out five. Matt Reynolds (William Byrd High School) and Kevin Barker had three hits each.
In the second game, David Fitt led the way with three hits, two home runs and five RBI. Barker got three more hits to end the day 6-for-10 with five RBI, five runs, two homers and a triple, giving him eight triples for the year to set the school's single-season record. Josh Herman (William Byrd) had two hits in the nightcap.
In other baseball:
* Chris Cofer's ninth-inning sacrifice fly led VMI to a 4-2 victory over East Tennessee State at the Southern Conference tournament in Charleston, S.C.
Danny Hughes (5-7) pitched a complete game for the Keydets, who took on Georgia Southern on Saturday night.
After Cofer's fly ball scored Patrick Abelon, Scott Thompkins singled in Louie Napoleon for the seventh-seeded Keydets (17-27).
East Tennessee State led 2-0 on Britt Phelps' RBI triple and Len Hart's run-scoring hit. However, VMI tied it when Nate Shepperson scored on a throwing error and Franco Martin doubled in Napoleon.
Reliever Todd Anderson (5-4) gave up both ninth-inning runs to take the loss.
* Pat Daly and Riley Hodges each hit solo home runs as Ferrum defeated John Carroll 8-7 in a the Marietta Shrine Tournament in Marietta, Ga. Ben Brown (1-0) picked up the win.
Ferrum scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to pull to 6-4 before John Carroll (15-18) added three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 7-6 lead. Ferrum added two runs in the bottom of the ninth to ice the victory.
In another tournament game, Joe Thomas held Ferrum (32-8) to four hits as Marietta shut out the Panthers 7-0.
LACROSSE Roanoke nips Hampden-Sydney
Evan Kaplow scored with 1:21 remaining to give Roanoke College a 13-12 victory over Hampden-Sydney in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference men's game in Hampden-Sydney.
The Maroons (11-3, 6-0), ranked ninth in NCAA Division III, led 7-4 at the half. The Tigers (10-4, 3-3), ranked 19th, closed to 10-9 through three quarters. Joe Turco tied the score at 12 for Hampden-Sydney with 4:29 to play.
J.D. Gattie finished with four goals and two assists for the Maroons. Turco scored three goals and set up two for the Tigers.
* Michael Watson scored four goals and added two assists, and Mark LaVerghetta had four goals and an assist as third-ranked Virginia defeated Maryland-Baltimore County 20-9 in a men's game in Baltimore.
The Cavaliers (10-3) held an 8-2 lead after one quarter. After three quarters, Virginia was up 18-7 and coasted through the fourth. John McDonnell and Greg Sabo led the Retrievers (3-8) with two goals each.
* Washington and Lee fell behind early and could not catch sixth-ranked Washington College as the Generals fell 15-5 in a non-conference men's game in Lexington.
Six Generals (8-5) had one point each. Michael Wilson led the Shoremen (9-4) with one goal and five assists, and Justin McCarthy added four goals and one assist.
* Suzy Funston was given the MVP award at the Virginia Tech women's banquet.
Debbie Eareckson won Most Improved, Sue Cowperthwait and Eareckson shared the Unsung Hero Award. Alanna Cini won the Coaches' Award
SOFTBALL Tech swept by La Salle
Virginia Tech ended its first varsity season with two losses to Atlantic 10 foe La Salle in Blacksburg.
The Hokies (16-32, 6-10) gave up three runs to the Explorers (22-24, 9-7) in the top of the sixth inning to lose the opener 6-3.
In the second game, La Salle scored all nine runs in the final four innings to beat Tech 9-1. Jen Evans had the lone hit for Virginia Tech in the nightcap.
ETC. Panthers to sell single-game tickets
A limited number of single-game tickets for the Carolina Panthers' 1996 season at the new Carolinas Stadium in Charlotte go on sale at 1 p.m. May 5. Prices range from $19 to $35.
Fans may obtain single-game tickets by calling Ticketmaster in Winston-Salem at (910) 722-6400 or the Triad area at (910) 852-1100.
Fans may purchase tickets for up to four games with a limit of eight tickets per game. The Panthers play their first game at Carolinas Stadium on Aug.3, when they open the preseason against the Chicago Bears. They open the regular season at home Sept.1 against the Atlanta Falcons.
In addition to single-game tickets, the Panther continue to sell Permanent Seat Licenses for the remaining seats in Sections C and E. For additional ticket information, call (704) 358-7800 Monday through Friday.
* Virginia won its first golf tournament of the spring by three strokes over ACC rival Clemson at the Centex Homes Palmetto Classic at Charleston (S.C.) National Country Club.
The Cavaliers' Lewis Chitengwa tied David Park of Augusta at even-par 144 for the medalist title, but lost in a playoff. Virginia Tech finished 11th in the 16-team field. Sean Farrell led the Hokies with an 8-over-par 152 to finish in a tie for 15th place.
* Roanokers Brandon Lacroix and Andrew Gregory posted first-round scores that placed them in the top 10 at the Plantation Junior Tour event in Aynor, S.C.
Lacroix shot a 3-over-par 75 to put him in fourth place, and Gregory shot a 5-over 77 to put him in seventh on the par-72 Rolling Hills Golf Club course.
* Washington and Lee and Roanoke College had some strong showings in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships in Salem.
Roanoke got first-place finishes from J.J. Maybury in the 1,500-meter run and the 5,000. Sandy Hooper of Washington and Lee took first in the 800. Mark Granger and Omar Monheim of Washington and Lee finished 1-2 in the shot put. Mark Harrison won the pole vault for the Generals.
In the women's competition, Washington and Lee's Josephine Schaeffer won the 1,500 and 3,000, setting a meet record in the 1,500. The Generals' Natasha Dorofeeva won the 800 in a meet-record time. Renae Rose of Roanoke won the triple jump, and teammate Amy Beck won the discus.
Washington and Lee's women finished second with 62 points to Lynchburg's 87. Roanoke finished third with 40 points.
In the men's team competition, Washington and Lee finished third with 53 points and Roanoke finished fourth with 17 points. Lynchburg won the men's competition with 95 points.
* Washington and Lee nearly completed a sweep during the ODAC men's tennis championships en route to a nine-point victory over Hampden-Sydney.
The Generals finished with 71 points, Hampden-Sydney 62, Lynchburg 50, Guilford 48, Virginia Wesleyan 35 1/2, Randolph-Macon 18, Emory and Henry 16 1/2, Roanoke 15 1/2, Bridgewater 8 1/2, and Eastern Mennonite 3 1/2.
W&L's Chris MacNaughton took top honors in the first flight and was named ODAC's player of the year. Peter Hammond, Dale Pretilia, Jesse Taylor and Ryan Aday won their respective flights for the Generals. Gary Franke took home coach of the year honors for the Generals.
* The Roanoke RiverDawgs won their exhibition opener 8-0 over the Chapel Hill club soccer team at Cave Spring Junior High School.
Ian Spooner (Radford University) led Roanoke with two goals. Grayson Prillaman (Roanoke College) added a goal and three assists and Eric McClellan (Virginia Tech) had a goal and an assist.
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