ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 26, 1997 TAG: 9704280048
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX THE ROANOKE TIMES
When the Spartans beat the Terriers for the first time in ages, the fun was just beginning.
School records for exultation were set by Salem High School on Friday night.
That was hard to do considering the Spartans have won both Group AA football and basketball championships in the past five years.
The 1997 baseball team has won nothing yet. But it did beat William Byrd 4-3 in eight innings on a cool and comfortable evening at Municipal Field, and that brought a substantial home audience to its feet in full cheer. It also brought the players to the brink of belly-flopping on top of each other in a huge dirt-heaving heap between second and short.
There were even some offended reactions from the defeated Terriers, who seemed to take issue with the vigorous demonstration of joy over a baseball victory that did nothing except keep the Spartans in the Blue Ridge District baseball race.
Calm arrived by and by as Byrd's Chris Manning, a left-hander of considerable powers but the losing pitcher nevertheless, came to offer kind words to the winners in an admirable display of sportsmanship.
No Byrd player of recent vintage has been called on for a similarly graceful gesture. They haven't had to, not after winning 19 straight baseball games against the Spartans.
The last time Salem (9-3 overall, 8-2 in Blue Ridge District) beat these Terriers (9-3, 9-1) was May 8, 1989.
``I've never beaten these guys in baseball and I've been playing since I was a freshman,'' Salem catcher Ricky Eubanks said. ``This is big.''
So was the hit he delivered off Byrd reliever Justin Likens with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth. Likens had just taken the hill to replace Manning. Manning had given up a skimpy two hits and fanned nine before tuckering out with three walks issued in the eighth.
Eubanks dumped the first pitch into short left field as the tying and winning runs stampeded across the plate and into an uproarious celebration.
``Glad to get that monkey off our backs,'' said first-year Salem coach Jim Steppe. ``That's the biggest baseball win we've had at this school in a long, long time.''
Terriers coach Rodney Spradlin remained impassive.
''We're still in first place,'' he said. NOTE: please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 51 linesby CNB