THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 21, 1995 TAG: 9506150536
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: 1995 ALL-TIDEWATER
SOFTBALL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 119 lines
Donna Self picked a fine time to be at the top of her already formidable game.
That is, unless you had to face her.
The Booker T. Washington senior pitcher fired heat past many an opposing batter during a regular season in which she fanned 165 hitters in 99 innings and compiled a 0.57 ERA. But when the area's best teams got together for the Eastern Region tournament, Self took her game to an even higher level. The Bookers' ace dominated three teams in leading her school to its first regional softball title.
``I was really up for those games,'' Self said.
Self's game appeared to grow stronger with each outing and she closed with a 10-strikeout, four-hit masterpiece against Beach District tournament champion Salem in the region final.
``Donna was outstanding all season, but she was unbelievable in the regional tournament,'' Bookers coach Paul Palombo said.
Self's performance not only put her team over the top, it also gave her the edge in a close race for Player of the Year honors on the The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star's third annual All-Tidewater softball team. The team was selected by newspaper staff writers in consultation with area coaches.
Self, who will play at Hampton University next fall, finished the season with a 20-4 record - including three no-hitters - and had 238 strikeouts in 149 innings. She also hit .453 with 24 RBI.
A second-team All-Tidewater selection a year ago, Self is joined on this year's All-Tidewater team by six repeat first-team selections - Nansemond-Suffolk's Sarah Putnam, Western Branch's Jaci Morris, Granby's Donna King, Great Bridge's Marni Magyar, Bayside's Dawn Bell and teammate Amy Hooks, a two-time All-Tidewater player of the year.
Salem sophomore Bronwyn Blair, the co-Beach District player of the year, is the team's other pitcher. Blair compiled a 20-6 record and 0.97 ERA in leading the Sun Devils to the district tournament title and the Group AAA state quarterfinals. Her trademark was impeccable control - Blair walked only 11 batters all season.
Putnam could have easily made this team as a pitcher as well, as she struck out nearly two hitters per inning, had an ERA under 1.00 and won 22 games. But she also batted over .500 and led the entire TCIS in virtually every offensive category. The private school competition was down relative to the public schools this season, but the bottom line is on a team of the area's best players, Putnam has to be on there somewhere.
Magyar, a no-brainer as the catcher, hit .431 with 27 RBI and 32 runs scored, struck out only once and had a .979 fielding percentage. A three-time All-Southeastern District pick, Magyar also made the Group AAA all-state team a year ago.
Princess Anne's Lisa Slingerland, Western Branch's Sarah Wolf, Bayside's Dawn Bell and King are the All-Tidewater first-team infielders.
Slingerland, a slick-fielding first baseman, overcame her lack of power by posting a .371 average and swiping a team-high 27 bases for a Cavalier team that thrived on the running game.
Wolf, a part-time pitcher who Bruins coach Chris Ake believes would start on the mound for many teams, led the Southeastern District champions with a
Shortstop Bell's range and fielding prowess alone might have been enough to earn her a spot on this team. But the two-time All-Beach District shortstop also hit .400 drove in 18 runs and is widely considered one of the top five all-around players in South Hampton Roads.
King, a senior third baseman, led the Comets in several offensive categories and helped Granby three-peat as Eastern District champions.
Western Branch's Morris, Salem's Michelle Pritchard and Great Bridge's Emily Ouzts are the first-team All-Tidewater outfielders.
Morris, arguably the best pure athlete in this group, batted .431 with a team-high five homers and 32 RBI. Like teammate Wolf, Morris was a part-time pitcher and is one of the area's hardest throwers. She threw out seven runners from centerfield.
The Beach District's best outfielder, Pritchard, hit five homers and drove in 18 as the Sun Devils' leadoff hitter. She also batted .361.
Ouzts, known primarily for her defensive prowess, came alive big-time offensively, finishing with a .508 average, 40 RBI and a 1.119 slugging percentage.
Hooks shared Bayside's pitching duties with Heidi Hill and didn't log her usual dominant numbers off the mound (7-5, 2.99 ERA). But she did hit .421, drive in 15 and steal 26 bases. She earned a partial scholarship to East Carolina University, where she'll play the outfield. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MOTOYA NAKAMURA/Staff
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Donna Self, Booker T. Washington, Sr., Pitcher
Color photos
Bronwyn Blair
Marni Magyar
Lisa Slingerland
Dawn Bell
Sarah Wolf
Donna King
Emily Ouzis
Jaci Morris
Michelle Pritchard
Amy Hooks
Sarah Putnam
Graphic
SECOND TEAM
[For complete graphic, please see microfilm]
by CNB