THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 27, 1995 TAG: 9504270489
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
After throwing back-to-back no-hitters against Maury and Bayside, Cox pitcher Jason Dubois admitted the pressure began to mount.
``People were talking about it in the hallways at school, asking me if I'd get No. 3 today,'' said Dubois, the Falcons' ace sophomore righthander. ``I was kind of hoping someone would get a hit just to get it over with.''
His wish was granted.
Princess Anne's Ray Gatling lined Dubois' first pitch of the day to right field.
Figuring he'd finally been hit, Dubois decided to hit back.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder went 4 for 5, including a three-run home run in the fourth inning, and drove in five runs as the Falcons, ranked sixth in South Hampton Roads, downed host Princess Anne, 13-10, in Beach District action Wednesday afternoon.
It was the Falcons' sixth victory in their last seven games.
Dubois went 5 2/3 innings, giving up 10 hits, and was lifted with the Falcons (6-4 overall, 3-3 district) leading, 13-6.
``I like finishing, but my arm started to tire,'' said Dubois, who had thrown well over 100 pitches.
Princess Anne (3-5, 1-5) scored four runs a piece in the sixth and seventh innings to make it close.
Dubois' bat, however, had provided enough padding.
``He's not just a pitcher, he's a complete player,'' Cox coach John Ingram said.
``This was a learning day for him. His pitches were high in the strike zone all day. It wasn't a stellar performance. But . . . ''
The state record for consecutive no-hitters is four, set in 1977 by Mathews County's Keith Atherton, who would later pitch for the Oakland A's and Minnesota Twins. The national record of six was set in 1961 by Notre Dame High's Chris Taranto of Biloxi, Miss.
``I felt fortunate to coach a kid who threw one no-hitter,'' Ingram said. ``The pinnacle might have been two. I might not coach another in my career.''
Then again, Dubois has an 80 mph fastball and is just mastering the curve ball. And he's only a sophomore. by CNB