THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 13, 1994 TAG: 9408130160
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JULIE GOODRICH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
After rolling over the competition in its first two games, Post 280 Greenbrier got a taste of its own medicine Friday at the American Legion state tournament at Hopewell High School.
Post 54 Bedford exploded for 19 hits and scored nearly ``three touchdowns'' against Post 280's pitching in a 20-9 rout, sending Greenbrier into the losers bracket.
Post 280 (22-3) will face the winner of the Post 146 Hopewell-Post 273 Poquoson game at 1 p.m. today. Ed Gosman will start for Greenbrier.
``They took it to us, that's for sure,'' Greenbrier coach Gary Lavelle said. ``We made some plays early in the game where we didn't execute well. We stayed close for awhile, but you play a lot different down by a few than you do down by a lot.''
Bedford (29-0) scored six runs in the sixth and five runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach. Shortstop David Olah owned Post 280 pitching with eight RBIs and three hits, including a grand slam in the seventh.
Catcher Mike Hoskins was a bright spot for Greenbrier, with four hits (including a solo homer in the sixth) and four runs scored. Hoskins is 12-for-17 in the tournament. Shawn O'Dell chipped in with three RBIs and Derek Riebel, Anthony Linhardt and Johnny Fox each had two hits for Post 280.
Greenbrier dug itself a hole in the first inning, surrendering three runs on three hits to lead off the inning against Brian Brantley. Bedford took a 4-0 lead in the third on a single up the middle by Jerry Padgett.
Post 54 starter Marc Theiler's wildness finally caught up to him in the third, as Hoskins doubled and scored on a wild pitch to ruin the shut out. After a leadoff walk to Riebel in the fourth, Theiler was lifted in favor of sidearmer Allen Hawkins. Hawkins got a quick out on a fly ball to center before walking the next three batters to draw Greenbrier within 4-2.
But then the bottom dropped out of Post 280's pitching. Brantley gave up three runs in the fifth and was pulled from the game after Mike Thompson's leadoff homer in the sixth. David Allison relieved and loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. A wild pitch scored one run before Ryan Gilleland slappped a two-run single to left to put Post 54 up, 11-2.
Olah lined a two-run single past a diving Linhardt at shortstop to close the book on Allison in the sixth.
But Olah wasn't finished with Post 280. Facing Matt Harden, who hadn't pitched for Greenbrier all summer and started the game at third, Olah drove in four runs with a deep shot to leftfield that Riebel could only watch sail over his head.
Greenbrier chipped away at Bedford in the late innings but didn't have enough to come back.
Post 54 301 036 502 - 20 19 2
Post 280 001 101 123 - 9 12 0
Theiler, Hawkins (6), Saunders (8) and Worley and Olah (7); Brantley, Allison (6), Harden (7), O'Dell (7), Fox (8) and Hoskins. HR-Post 54: Thompson, Olah. by CNB