ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 27, 1997 TAG: 9702270067
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: IN THE REGION
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
John Yates drove in three runs and W.G. Smith allowed just three hits in eight innings Wednesday to lead VMI to a 9-4 college baseball victory over Liberty in Lexington.
The Flames (1-1) jumped to a 4-1 lead, but David Dixon blasted a solo homer and Dale Moore scored on an error in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 4-3. Yates, who had a solo home run in the second, rapped a two-run double and Pat Abelon delivered a run-scoring single in a six-run fifth inning for VMI (4-8).
Smith (1-3) retired 14 of the last 17 batters he faced.
In other news in the region:
* Sophomore left-hander Javier Lopez tied a career-high with eight strikeouts in Virginia's 9-4 baseball victory over Radford in Charlottesville.
After Radford's Kelly Dampeer (Northside) erased a 3-0 Highlanders deficit with a three-run homer in the sixth, Virginia (7-1) scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the inning. With the bases loaded and two out, Kyle Kirkeide's fly ball was misplayed and all three runners scored. The Cavaliers added three more runs in the eighth.
Ryan McFadden also homered for Radford.
* Eric Guyton went 3-for-4 and scored two runs in Mary Washington's 9-5 baseball victory over Washington and Lee in Fredericksburg.
David Hanson was 3-for-3 with three RBI for the Generals (0-5) and Todd Ellingson and Chris Takem had two hits.
* UNC Charlotte's Jannie Repole tossed a five-inning no-hitter as the 49ers beat Virginia Tech 9-0 to forge a split in a softball doubleheader in Charlotte, N.C.
Tech won the first game 12-3 as Katie Mills and Michelle Meadows each had three hits.
* Mary Washington scored three unanswered goals in the final 15 minutes to beat Roanoke 13-11 in a women's lacrosse match. Senior midfielder Lisa Franzino scored the 100th goal of her career for Roanoke (0-1), but Charlotte Cockrell scored four goals for the Eagles (1-0).
* Duke Strager will return for a second season as head coach of the Roanoke Rush minor-league football team. Strager, a former assistant coach at Virginia Tech, guided the Rush to a 12-2 record last season.
In other Rush news, fullback Billy Pate was seriously injured when struck by a car last week near his home in Princeton, W.Va. According to a team news release, both of Pate's legs were broken and he suffered head and back injuries. He is listed in serious but stable condition at a Princeton hospital.
LENGTH: Medium: 54 linesby CNB