THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 23, 1995 TAG: 9507210233
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 25 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
The Tidewater Drillers 10-under baseball team advanced to the AAU national tournament by winning the state qualifying tournament June 10 and 11 at First Colonial High School.
The Drillers, who draw most of their players from Virginia Beach, will be heading to Kansas City, Mo., for the national championships Aug. 5-12 as one of two teams representing the state of Virginia. The other 10-under Virginia representative is the Virginia Blasters, also of South Hampton Roads.
In the qualifying tournament, sparked by the stolen bases of Nathan Bernard of Chesapeake, the Drillers defeated the Great Neck Strikers, 7-2, in their first game. Tanner Manley and Andrew Casey, both of Lynnhaven, reached base three times each in the victory.
The Drillers then advanced to the championship round as Ryan Zimmerman of Sandbridge struck out 10 en route to a complete-game 9-2 victory over the Tidewater Cardinals. Zimmerman also led the offense with two hits in three at-bats.
In the championship round, the Cardinals forced a second game by defeating the Drillers, 2-1, on a two-run home run by Justin Jones of Kempsville, who also was the winning pitcher. An RBI grounder by Jeremy Black of Chesapeake scored the Drillers' only run in the game, in which the Drillers got another complete game on the mound from Jacob Fox of Lynnhaven. Fox gave up just four hits and struck out two.
In the championship game, Wesley Miller of Chesapeake pitched yet another complete game for the Drillers as they won the title with a 4-2 victory over the Cardinals. Zimmerman again went 2-for-3, and Miller helped himself with a two-run single.
Miller gave up just four hits, and Zimmerman led the defense at shortstop. A key play in the sixth was a pitcher-to-shortstop-to-first double play started by Miller on a comebacker to the mound and turned by Zimmerman at the second-base bag.
Drillers from Virginia Beach are Casey, Daniel deLalla, Aaron Damon, Fox, Bobby Hewitt, Manley, Marcus Marshall, Brooks Sinnen, Charles Watrous, Bert Wilson, David Winfree and Zimmerman. The Drillers have five players from Chesapeake: Bernard, Black, Jeff Kubichan, B.J. Marchant and Miller, and one player from Portsmouth: Collin Credle.
The Drillers are managed by Matt Sinnen of Virginia Beach. Assistant coaches are Bryan Black of Chesapeake, and Jeff Fox, Bob Hewitt and Keith Zimmerman, all of Virginia Beach. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by CHARLIE WATROUS
The Drillers, who draw most of their players from Virginia Beach,
celebrate after winning the state qualifying tournament.
by CNB