ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 30, 1997 TAG: 9703310146
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-6 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: IN THE REGION
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
The top contenders for the starting quarterback job surrendered the spotlight to the defense in Virginia Tech's first spring football scrimmage Saturday.
None of the Hokies' signal-callers distinguished themselves in the short session, although redshirt freshman Nick Sorenson accounted for the day's longest play.
Sorenson was 2-for-4 passing for 40 yards, including a 28-yard completion to flanker Shawn Scales. Al Clark, the favorite to replace Jim Druckenmiller, completed just two of eight passes for 16 yards, and Mike Kocicka was 3-for-4 for 13 yards.
Rover Phillip Summers and linebacker Sean Ruffing, both redshirted as freshman, each registered a sack to lead the defense. Summers had four tackles and Ruffing three, while rover Pierson Prioleau came up with an interception.
BASEBALL
UMass snaps Hokies' streak
The University of Massachusetts beat Virginia Tech 7-1 to snap the Hokies' nine-game winning streak and earn a split of an Atlantic 10 doubleheader at English Field.
Tech (14-13, 4-1) won its ninth straight as catcher Barry Gauch hit a pair of homers and drove in five runs in an 11-2 victory in the first game.
Junior right-hander Denny Wagner (4-2) pitched a complete game to notch the win for the Hokies. Gauch collected three hits for Tech, while Eric Shiflett, Matt Griswold and Kevin Kurilla had two hits each.
Massachusetts left-hander Bill Cooke (2-1) allowed five hits in the second game. Chad Foutz (Franklin County) was 2-for-2 for Tech, and Griswold had a double to extend his hitting streak to 18 games.
Radford: UNC Greensboro's Dominic Pattie singled in Steve Mokan in the top of the ninth inning to lead the Spartans to 7-6 victory over the Highlanders and a sweep of a Big South Conference twinbill in Radford.
Pitcher Lance Surridge tossed a four-hitter as UNC Greensboro (23-5, 5-0) won the first game 4-0.
Radford's Chad Gordon hit a three-run inside-the-park homer in the second game, and Chris Carr and Kelly Dampeer (Northside) each collected a pair of hits for the Highlanders (12-17, 1-4).
Ferrum: The Panthers pounded out 20 hits, including four home runs, in a 15-9 Dixie Conference victory over Shenandoah at Adams Field.
Ferrum catcher Riley Hodges went 4-for-5 with a solo homer and three runs scored, while third baseman Todd Cunningham was 4-for-5 with a triple and two RBI.
Ty Mason, Pat Daly and Sharron Braxton all homered for Ferrum (16-3, 5-1), ranked 21st in the Division III coaches' poll. Pitcher Ben Brown (3-1) went the distance to pick up the victory.
VMI: Franco Martin and Scott Thompkins each hit two home runs and the Keydets scored the winning run on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the 11th as VMI edged The Citadel 11-10 in the first game of a Southern Conference doubleheader in Charleston, S.C.
Martin went 2-for-3, with five RBI and three runs scored for the Keydets (10-20, 5-6), and Thompkins was 3-for-5 with four RBI and four runs scored.
The Bulldogs (24-12, 11-5) gained a split with a 12-3 victory in the nightcap.
LACROSSE
UVa men edge Maryland
Freshman attackman Drew McKnight scored 2:39 into the second overtime as the Virginia men defeated Maryland 15-14 in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Klockner Stadium.
The Terrapins (4-2, 1-2) rallied from an 11-8 deficit to take a 14-13 lead on a goal by Peter Hilgartner with 3:09 remaining in regulation. David Curry scored his third goal for the Cavaliers (5-2, 1-0) to tie the score with 1:25 left to play.
VMI: Mount St. Mary's held off the Keydets for a 10-9 victory at Patchin Field in Lexington.
VMI (1-5) trailed 10-7 in the fourth period before Mason Ayers and Andrew Rogers each scored to cut the deficit to one with 59 seconds to play. VMI gained another possession after the faceoff, but was unable to get off a shot.
Virginia Tech women: Davidson reeled off three unanswered goals late in the second half, and then held on to defeat the Hokies 17-16 in Davidson, N.C.
Amy Mantooth scored five goals to lead Tech (3-7).
Roanoke women: Lindsay Wernert scored an unassisted goal with 2:52 remaining in the second overtime to lift Roanoke to a 12-11 victory over Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Md.
Wernert had four goals and Ali Ogelsby scored three as the Maroons (5-1), ranked 10th in Division III, rallied from an 8-4 halftime deficit to send the game into extra periods.
Neda Dawood had four goals for the ninth-ranked Blue Jays (3-2).
Washington and Lee women: Junior Lorraine Taurassi scored seven goals and added an assist as the Generals pounded Mary Washington 16-5 in Fredericksburg.
Mary Jo Mahoney and Whitney Parker each scored three goals for W&L (9-1), which outscored the Eagles 11-3 in the second half.
ETC
Track records fall
The Virginia Tech track and field teams established two school records as the Hokies and VMI competed in the second day of the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, N.C.
Tech sophomore Paula Allen set a record in the shot put (14.21 meters) and the Tech women's 800-meter relay team finished fourth in a school-record time of 1:40.98.
Battleground relays: Roanoke set three school track and field records in the Battleground Relays at Fredericksburg.
Lea Dean set a Roanoke standard in the shot put (36 feet), and the 3,200-meter relay team finished fifth in a record time of 10:29. The Maroons' sprint relay team also established a school mark with a second-place time of 1:56.90
Virginia Tech softball: The Hokies dropped a pair of games during the final day of the Georgia Tech Buzz Classic, falling to Georgia Southern 4-3 and Southwestern Louisiana 11-2 in Atlanta .
LENGTH: Long : 114 linesby CNB