THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 4, 1994 TAG: 9406040391
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940604 LENGTH: VIRGINIA BEACH
The Wildcats (17-6-1) were a finalist three years ago but last won the region in 1984.
{REST} The victory makes Great Bridge a host team in the state tournament quarterfinals next Friday against Monacan (17-4). Midlothian (19-2) defeated Monacan, 4-2, in Friday night's late quarterfinal in Richmond for the Central Region crown.
Western Branch (19-5) will travel to Richmond next Friday to play Midlothian.
Lashelle Griffin scored Great Bridge's winning run with two outs in the top of the sixth on an error by Western Branch second baseman Sarah Wolf. Griffin had doubled and moved to third on a sacrifice by Dana Crisostomo.
Griffin had two of the Wildcats' eight hits off loser Nicole Belote. ``She struck me out the time before my last hit,'' Griffin said. ``I told myself I had to get the trigger back sooner.''
Her first hit in the opening inning was a two-out blow that drove in Jamie Lemnios with the game's initial run. The Wildcats bunched three hits around an infield error.
Western Branch pulled even in the bottom of the fifth as Wolf blooped a single behind second base and later scored on a line drive double to leftfield by Calee Morris.
For the Wildcats, Lemnios had three hits and pitcher Stacey Adamson had two.
Adamson, a senior lefthander, faced only 28 batters. She struck out four in gaining her 16th victory.
The Southeastern District champion Bruins managed only four hits, two of them by Morris.
``Keeping those Western Branch runners off the bases was a key,'' said Great Bridge coach Noble Palmer. ``They disrupt most teams they play into making mental mistakes and we didn't want that to happen to us. We beat a very good team.
``What we play is blue-collar softball. We get down in the dirt and we work from start to finish. And that stuff is what made us a winner,'' adding Palmer, dripping wet after his players doused him with the team water bucket.
It was the second year in a row a district's second seed won the tournament. Defending champ Western Branch was a No. 2 seed last year.
``We didn't play well in the field,'' said Western Branch coach Chris Ake. ``And it seemed like every batter was flying out.''
Eleven fly-ball outs were recorded against the Bruins. Five were pulled in by Great Bridge centerfielder Emily Ouzts, three on long running catches. by CNB