THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 14, 1995 TAG: 9505110211
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 38 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER
CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: BARCO LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
It was a game that both teams were looking forward to. Two rivals head-to-head. The cream of the crop in the Northeastern Conference. The cream of the crop in Northeastern North Carolina.
It was a team effort for Currituck County as Alan Lawrence and Justin Hill both belted homeruns in the fifth inning and Cory Scott tossed a four-hitter to lead the undefeated Knights to a 4-1 win over Manteo this past week.
Currituck opened the scoring in the first inning with its two main sparkplugs. Lawrence led off the game with a walk off starter Ted Toller. He stole second, and scored on Scott's single to center.
With the score still 1-0, Lawrence led off the fifth inning by smacking an 0-2 fastball to right center.
``It was a fastball right down the plate,'' Lawrence said after the game. ``I thought he would throw a breaking ball, anywhere but there.''
Toller then gave up an infield hit to Scott. He recovered to strike out John Dough, but Hill cleared the left centerfield fence to drive in two more. Reliever Foye Minton shut the door on Currituck the rest of the game after the second homer.
Manteo scratched out a run in the top of the sixth without a hit. Scott walked Jake Twiford and Gerald Crawford and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Toller grounded out to Hill at third which scored Twiford, the Redskins' lone run.
Scott pitched out of a small jam in the fifth. Minton lined a one-out single to center, moved to second on a sacrifice by Lee Martin, and reached third on a passed ball. But Scott got Matt Meekins to pop out to first baseman Brett Horne for the third out.
Scott struck out 14 batters including 10 of the first 12 outs of the game. He threw 112 pitches.
Currituck head coach Billy Stallings said it was a typical game for the Knights this season.
``It's the type of game we've had all year,'' he said. ``Low scoring, good defense. We've been fortunate. We've gotten some breaks.''
Ken Meekins, Manteo head coach, said Currituck was at the top of its game.
``I'm impressed with the way they make the routine plays and Cory (Scott) pumping them up,'' he said. ``They're playing championship ball. They earned the win.''
Stallings said the matchup was the usual tight battle the two rivals put on each year.
Manteo earned the right to play Currituck for a share of first place with a 3-1 win over Plymouth four nights earlier. Matt Meekins and Gerald Crawford both drove in runs in the sixth inning and Meekins tossed a three-hitter.
With the score tied at 1-1, Manteo (14-4, 5-1) got help from Plymouth's pitchers in the sixth. With one out, Minton coaxed a walk off starter Daniel Hall and later moved to second on a wild pitch. Meekins followed with a drive to right center to score Minton. Eric Styons entered the game for Plymouth and walked Billy Barrera and Twiford. Crawford followed with a sharp grounder to short. Hall, who had moved to shortstop after the pitching change, got the force out at second, but Meekins scored the third run, enough for the Manteo victory. by CNB