THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 4, 1995 TAG: 9506010226
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 50 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER
CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: BARCO LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
It wasn't supposed to end this way. Then again, all good things must come to an end.
Currituck County High School's baseball winning streak came to an end last week at an inopportune time - in the second round of the state playoffs.
William Guthrie set the table for the game-winning run and also pitched one and two-thirds innings of strong relief to help East Carteret to a 2-1 win over the Knights.
East Carteret opened the game with a run in the first inning. With two outs, Currituck starter Alan Lawrence walked Clifford Guthrie and William Guthrie. Ryan Fulcher followed with a single through the hole at second to drive in Clifford Guthrie.
In the third, the Mariners scored what proved to be the game-winning run. With one out, William Guthrie knocked a check-swing single to right field. He stole second and third and scored on a single to right by Doug Merrell.
Starter Chad Dickinson and William Guthrie shut down the Knights on three hits. The solid East Carteret defense made every play behind them.
Currituck managed to scratch out a run in the fourth. Justin Hill singled past third base. Hill went all the way to third on a passed ball. He scored on a ground out by Brent Horne.
Somehow, some way, all season the Knights had been able to come up with the big play or the timely hit. But the magic ran out when the Knights blew chances to tie the game in both the sixth and seventh innings. Cory Scott led off the sixth with a walk and was replaced by pinch runner Jesse Jones. Jones moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by John Dough, and later to third on a passed ball. But William Guthrie took the mound and struck out Hill and Horne to end the inning.
In the Currituck seventh, Mike Weatherly led off with a single ground down the right field line. Jones went in to pinch run, but was caught stealing on a hit-and-run play. Guthrie struck out Jeremy Byrum and forced Brad Kleman to ground out to end the game.
Lawrence allowed six hits and struck out four in four innings in the loss. Scott allowed one hit over the final three innings in relief.
East Carteret head coach Gary Chadwick said William Guthrie, the Mariners top pitcher, almost didn't make the game because of a serious illness to his mother who is in a Greenville Hospital.
Currituck head coach Billy Stallings said that he had a long scouting report on the Mariners, and they did just about everything he thought they would.
``They made the plays they had to. They used their wheels to score the second run and that was the ball game,'' he said. ``We did exactly what we wanted to do except get the big hit.''
Stallings said the players, many who were red-eyed on the bench after the game, were upset about not being able to finish out the undefeated season.
``They're disappointed. I talked to them about the positive things that we did. Hopefully the kids will look back and see what a great season it was.
``Everyone on this team has played a vital part,'' he added. ``They knew what their rolewas and they played that way.''
It truly was a once in a lifetime season. by CNB