THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 14, 1994 TAG: 9407140557
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
Rain fell on both teams during the Virginia High School Coaches Association all-star softball game Wednesday, but only the West got washed away.
The East, trailing by a run when rain interrupted play midway through the fifth, showered the West with a six-run barrage when play resumed and cruised to a 10-4 victory at Briarfield Park.
``It was an honor to be here,'' Bayside outfielder Erin Stubbe said. ``Then to go out and win, too, that makes it even better.''
The East played without coach Randall T. Clary of Varina, who is hospitalized after suffering a punctured lung and broken ribs in an automobile accident on his way to Hampton. Clary, who was to be one of four coaches for the East, was in intensive care Wednesday, Sussex Central coach Don Mudrick said.
According to Stubbe, the East players were nervous early, and it showed when they made two errors in the West's three-run second. But talk of a postponement during the roughly five-minute rain delay helped the East regain focus.
``We started hearing that we might have to play at 10 (a.m.) tomorrow,'' Stubbe said. ``None of us wanted to do that.''
Stubbe (1-for-4) singled, drove in a run and scored a run in the East's six-run fifth. Salem first baseman Sarah Laskowski, the only other South Hampton Roads' player in the game, also scored during the inning.
``It was really exciting,'' Laskowski said. ``There were so many good players here.''
Rappahannock pitcher Rebeccah Ward, one of four hurlers for the East, went two innings and picked up the win. Brenda La Flamme of Tunstall, who was on the mound for the West during its ill-fated fifth, took the loss. Two of the East's six runs in the inning scored on passed balls.
Midlothian's Jennifer McIntyre went 3-for-4, including a double, and was named the East's most valuable player. McIntyre, a first-team All-Group AAA state performer this season, will play for Penn State in the fall.
Langley's Janet Ciciarelli pitched 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball and also stroked a single to earn West MVP honors.
Each team included 18 players, and both teams substituted liberally, even allowing players who had left the game to return in a later inning.
It was the East's fourth victory in the five VHSCA all-star games. The West's lone victory was an 8-0 shutout last year.
West 030 100 000 - 4 8 4
East 001 261 00x - 10 11 4
Hammerschlag, La Flamme (4), Ciciarrelli (6) and Dennis, Preston; Mayr, Owens (3), Ward (5), Dunn (7), Mayr (9) and Larkin, Bunch (5). W-Ward. L-Bunch. by CNB