ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, March 27, 1997               TAG: 9703270067
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B-3  EDITION: METRO 
                                             TYPE: IN THE REGION
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS


HOKIES TAKE RADFORD OUT OF THE PARK

Virginia Tech hit five home runs Wednesday as part of a 19-hit day to beat visiting Radford 21-4 in non-conference baseball at English Field.

Gray Hodges (Franklin County High School) started the Hokies' home-run barrage with a three-run shot in the second inning. Barry Gauch hit a solo homer in the fourth and Ryan Brittle hit a two-run shot in the fifth. Chad Foutz (Franklin County) and Eric Shiflett led off the seventh with back-to-back homers.

Tech (12-12) posted season highs in runs and hits. Jon Hand (2-4) gave up four hits and in six innings to pick up the victory.

Radford (12-14) was led by Michael Potter's three hits.

In other baseball:

Ferrum: Todd Cunningham is happy Ferrum put Binghamton (N.Y.) State on its schedule.

Cunningham, a senior No.2 hitter, was 5-for-7 with nine RBI in the Panthers' 29-10 non-conference victory over the visiting Colonials. Cunningham had three doubles and a triple and scored four runs. His hits and doubles totals tied school records and his RBI were one off the record.

Ferrum (14-2) scored nine runs in the second and eight in the third to take a 21-0 lead through three innings. Jermaine Fletcher (5-1) benefited from the support. He allowed three hits and two runs in four innings.

Sharron Braxton was 3-for-6 with a solo homer for Ferrum. Ricky Hodges, a Franklin County alumnus, hit a three-run homer, and Pat Daly and Chuck Jarrett had three hits apiece.

Washington and Lee: E.J. Murphy's three-run homer in the seventh broke an 11-11 tie and sent W&L to a 14-13 non-conference victory over Westminster (Pa.) in Lexington.

Murphy led W&L (6-9) with three hits and six RBI. Freshman Christian Batcheller (Patrick County) was 3-for-5 with two RBI.

SOFTBALL

Shenandoah sweeps Ferrum

Ferrum continued to struggle in the Dixie Conference with a doubleheader loss at Shenandoah in Winchester. Shenandoah (2-6 overall, 2-2 Dixie) won 6-2 and 8-3.

Shannon Jost was 2-for-4 for Ferrum (9-15, 1-5) in the first game. Kim Harlow and Audra Freeman had two hits apiece in the second game.

Roanoke: Eastern Mennonite beat Roanoke 4-3 twice in an ODAC doubleheader in Harrisonburg.

Roanoke (2-12, 0-4), which has seven one-run losses, got a four-hitter from Marcee Hufton in the second game. The Maroons had 12 hits, led by three apiece from Kari Whitney (Cave Spring) and Kara DeWitt.

ETC.

Bishop, Athey all-VaSID

Roanoke College's Jason Bishop and Amy Athey were named to the Virginia Sports Information Directors college division first team all-state basketball teams. Bishop averaged 17.1 points for the Maroons. Athey, a Cave Spring graduate, averaged 17.0 points for the ODAC champion women's team.

Also named to the women's second team were Longwood's Nikki Hall of Glenvar and Emory & Henry's Angie Simpkins of Auburn.

The player's of the year are Otis Tucker III of Lynchburg and Corinne Carson of Marymount. Tony Shaver of Hampden-Sydney is the men's coach of the year and Billy Finney of Marymount is the women's coach of the year.


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