THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 11, 1995 TAG: 9504110462
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
The outline of the brace is visible through Mike Alexander's baseball pants, a constant reminder of the torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
``I did it playing pickup football with friends on December 29th,'' said Alexander.
But instead of discarding his senior season and opting for surgery, Alexander is pitching.
Monday on the opening day of the Pizza Hut Invitational at Indian River Middle School, Alexander silenced host Indian River High's bats as the Kellam Knights, the area's ninth-ranked team, trounced the fifth-ranked Braves, 10-0.
``I had to play this season,'' Alexander said. ``Surgery would have put me out for nine months. I had to give college coaches a chance to see me pitch. So I decided to rehabilitate it by strengthening my quadriceps and hamstring.''
There were no signs of weakness against the Braves (4-3) as Alexander gave up just two hits, striking out seven and walking three to run his record to 2-0. Kellam improved to 3-1.
``My heart just fell when I heard he'd torn up his knee,'' said Kellam coach Jim Moxey. ``A pitcher puts all that weight on his left leg when he plants.
``But the doctor keeps telling Mike it's OK and Mike hasn't changed his motion or delivery to make up for the torque on the knee. He's given us 16-plus innings so far without giving up an earned run.''
Alexander said he didn't have his ``good stuff'' Monday. And in the cool, windy conditions, his fastball didn't appear to have a lot of jump. But it was the Braves' knees that were buckling whenever he threw his curveball.
Leading 2-0, the Knights broke it open in the sixth with four runs, the highlight being a two-run single by Tim Sturken, who went 2 for 3.
Kellam's Rusty Lee went 3 for 3 and scored three runs.
The Knights struck for four more runs in the seventh, putting together five consecutive base hits at one point.
In other tournament games:
Lake Taylor 3, Great Bridge 2: The Titans' David Lambert started the fifth with a triple and scored what proved to be the game winner on Jason Dixon's grounder to second. Winning pitcher Robbie Hale went the distance, scattering five hits and striking out five.
Nansemond River 13, Kempsville 1: John Drames and Mike Brym each had two hits and three RBI and Jeff Eure added a pair of hits and scored three runs for the Warriors (5-1). Grayson Craun and Cody Flowers combined on a five-inning one-hitter.
Salem 5, Greenbrier 1: Tim Dragone drove in four runs with a pair of two-out hits and Andy Hubba fired a three-hitter, striking out 10. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by BILL TIERNAN/
Indian River's Duane Barnes, top, slides back safely Monday in the
Braves' game with Kellam. At bottom, Ann Alexander and other fans
are bundled up against a biting wind to watch the two-hit,
seven-strikeout shutout thrown by Alexander's son, Mike, in Kellam's
10-0 Pizza Hut Invitational victory.
by CNB