THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 7, 1994 TAG: 9407070726
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, COMPASS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
Granby won the Eastern District girls softball title for the second year in a row in 1994 and if the Comets' all-district selections are any indication, they should three-peat in '95.
The Comets had four first team selections, all of them underclassmen.
Freshman Lauren Bowen finished second in votes and was joined by juniors Donna King and Kelly Rogers and freshman Elaine McCall.
Lake Taylor's Jennifer Beaham was the top vote-getter. Janelle Brown and Kacey Wardlaw were the other Titans selected. Kim Cooper, Tami Langston and Mina Weldman represented Norview. Booker T. Washington's Donna Self rounded out the squad.
The Comets ended the season with a 7-1 district record and a 12-6 overall mark.
``I have struggled for 13 of 15 years,'' head coach Mickey Lamastra said. ``It was always Booker T. and Lake Taylor on top. For some reason this team has really gelled.
``This year we really had a team of go-getters. Sometimes they waited until late in the game to get going ... that would nearly give me a heart attack, but they came through.''
Lamastra credits more off-season play with summer camps and leagues for the turnaround as well as great young talent.
Bowen had a fielding percentage of .842. She hit .316 with 18 hits and 10 RBI.
``She started off with a bang hitting,'' Lamastra said. ``She is not afraid of the ball at all.''
McCall hit .314 with 20 RBI and 15 stolen bases, but also produced from the mound.
``She can throw hard, she might lose control every now and then, but being a freshman that should get better,'' Lamastra said.
Junior secondbaseman Rogers has been with Lamastra for three years and acts as the team leader. She hit .425 with 22 RBI and 12 stolen bases.
King is probably the Comets' most verstile player. She averaged .433 from the plate with 25 stolen bases. From the mound she threw 33 innings, struck out 14 and compiled a 4-1 overall record with an ERA of 2.33.
``Anywhere I ask her to play she can play,'' Lamastra said. ``She's a great all around player.''
The Comets added three more freshman to the second team - Gina Frazier, Erin Justus and Donna Tate, as well as junior Summer Jergican.
Freshmen Kelly Clayton and Dawn Hirsch and junior Cindy Cornwell were named to the second team from Lake Taylor. Norview's sophomore Liz Peoples and senior DeeDee Chapman, Booker T's freshmen Cheria Askew and Shannon Rosenbaum and Maury senior Carrie Bollerup rounded out the second team. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Donna Self, Booker T. Washington
Elaine McCall, Granby
Tami Langston, Norview
Donna King, Granby
Janelle Brown, Lake Taylor
Lauren Bowen, Granby
Kacey Wardlaw, Lake Taylor
Jennifer Beaham, Lake Taylor
Mina Weldman, Norview
Kimberly Cooper, Norview
Chart
ALL-EASTERN DISTRICT GIRLS SOFTBALL
For copy of chart, see microfilm
by CNB