THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 12, 1994 TAG: 9408120755
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HOPEWELL LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
David Ellyson mixed a lot of good pitching with a little bit of fast talking Thursday and produced a much-needed complete game victory for Post 280 Greenbrier in the state American Legion baseball tournament.
Ellyson scattered eight hits in nine innings and struck out six as Post 280 routed Post 28 Dumfries, 13-3, in second-round action at Hopewell High School.
Post 280 will face Thursday night's Post 54 Bedford-Post 3 Roanoke winner today at 5 p.m. Brian Brantley will start for Post 280.
But if Post 280 keeps mashing the ball the way it did Thursday, it almost doesn't matter who's pitching. The Greenbrier club teed off on three Post 28 pitchers for 13 hits - including a solo home run by shortstop Anthony Linhardt - to continue its torrid tournament hitting. Wednesday, the team cranked out 20 hits in a 16-8 thrashing of Post 130 Falls Church.
``I just hope we keep it up,'' Post 280 coach Gary Lavelle said.
Meanwhile, Ellyson mowed down the opposition with a 130-pitch, complete game gem. And on the few occasions when Ellyson's command wavered, Post 280's defense bailed him out. The team turned two double plays and centerfielder Jeremiah West threw out a runner at the plate.
Ellyson's ability to go the distance allowed Lavelle to preserve a thin Post 280 pitching staff. The team has just three starters and a handful of seldom-used relievers in a tournament in which the winner must play five games. Pitchers are limited to 12 innings over three days.
But while Lavelle wanted a lot of innings from Ellyson on Thursday, he wasn't thinking complete game.
``I didn't want him to do it,'' Lavelle said. ``I wanted to take him out in the eighth.''
Post 280 got all the runs Ellyson would need in the first inning, when back-to-back doubles by Mike Hoskins and Shawn O'Dell, singles by Linhardt and Derek Riebel, a double steal and an Ellyson sacrifice fly resulted in a 4-0 lead.
Hoskins also added a double and a single and has gone 8-for-11 in the tournament. All but one of Post 280's starters had at least one hit.
Post 28 Dumfries010 020 000 - 3 8 3
Post 280 Greenbrier431 010 31x - 13 13 2
G. Blake, B. Blake (2), Wahala (7) and Vandesand; Ellyson and Hoskins. W: Ellyson. L: G. Blake. HR: Post 280, Linhardt. by CNB