
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 5, 1994                    TAG: 9406030215 
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST                     PAGE: 43    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT 
DATELINE: 940605                                 LENGTH: Medium

PERQUIMANS' SEASON ENDS IN THIRD ROUND OF 1A STATE PLAYOFFS\

{LEAD} Perquimans County High School's softball season went further than expected as the Lady Tigers coasted through two rounds of the North Carolina state 1A playoffs.

But ultimately, Perquimans fell to Williamston 6-1 in the third round.

{REST} Williamston, the top seed from the Albemarle Conference, scored six runs in the first inning to knock off number two seed Perquimans.

The Lady Tigers had the Lady Pirates' number, knocking them off three times during the season.

Perquimans reached the third round of the playoffs as it jumped out to a 5-0 lead and never trailed in dropping Albemarle Conference rival Camden County 10-3.

The Lady Pirates, playing a road game despite having a higher seed than Camden, jumped out to a 5-0 lead early.

In the top of the first, Kristie Roberson drove in a run with a groundout and Amber Curles followed with a solo homer to left center. Later in the inning, Melody Peede came through with a two-out RBI single to up the score to 3-0. Perquimans added two more runs in the top of the second on an RBI single to left by Jackie Downar and a sacrifice fly by Roberson.

Camden quickly got back in the game in the third inning. Holly Meads belted a one-out single up the middle and Celina Olds followed with a bloop single. Kristi Spencer then smashed a line drive down the right field foul line which rolled all the way to the fence for a homerun.

Leading 5-3 in the top of the fifth, Perquimans scored three runs on three hits and four Camden errors. Curles had the only RBI in the inning.

Perquimans added two insurance runs in the seventh inning when Peede stroked the ball down the right field line for a homerun, almsot a carbon copy of Spencer's homer.

The Lady Pirates avenged a loss to the Lady Bruins in Camden earlier in the season.

``We remembered how bad we played here before and they were ready to redeem themselves,'' said Perquimans head coach Karen Booker.

Booker said the Lady Pirates were out to test the arms of the Camden outfielders. Several times in the game Perquimans took extra bases that led to runs.

``We ran and didn't stop running,'' Booker said. ``We were going to make the outfielders throw the ball.''

Camden head coach Diane Overton said her team was simply outhit.

``They outhit us. We made some errors, but they just outhit us,'' Overton said. ``I think both teams are the same talent-wise. It was just who was hitting the ball best.''

Perquimans County High School's softball season went farther than expected as the Lady Tigers coasted through two rounds of the North Carolina state 1A playoffs.

But ultimately, Perquimans fell to Williamston in the third round, 6-1.

Williamston, the top seed from the Albemarle Conference, scored six runs in the first inning to knock off second-seeded Perquimans.

The Lady Tigers had the Lady Pirates' number, knocking them off three times during the season.

Perquimans reached the third round of the playoffs as it jumped out to a 5-0 lead and never trailed in dropping Albemarle Conference rival Camden County, 10-3.