THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 18, 1995 TAG: 9508160161
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 09 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
FOR THE FIRST TIME, a Portsmouth team reigns as king of the Men's Open Division in the Tidewater Softball Championships.
And now that team is focusing its attention on a national crown.
Harrison's/Commerce/Mario's won the Tidewater title in last week's 15th annual tournament at Greenbrier Park in Chesapeake.
It was an all-Portsmouth finale as Merchants/Hoo-Yahs/Barrel grabbed the other championship game spot. Harrison's registered a 31-24 victory in the slugfest.
Harrison's will be heading to Florence, S.C., for the NSA World Series Sept. 14-16 in the Class B category.
The Movers also will compete in the ASA World Series the following week in Shreveport, La., in the Class B division.
Merchants also will vie in the World Series at Florence. Merchants is planning to participate in the Fall League here.
Harrison's, the Portsmouth regular-season champion, is now 87-17 for the season, including tournament play.
En route to their three victories in the Tidewater meet, the Movers unleashed a barrage of home runs and some outstanding plate work from several hitters.
Steve Gilbert racked up 12 hits in 14 times at bat and banged five home runs. He was chosen as the tournament's most valuable player.
Greg Harding contributed a 9-for-9 effort with five home runs. Jim Feather also racked up five home runs.
Runner-up Merchants bolted into an early lead, rallying for 12 runs and a 17-5 advantage in the top of the third inning behind a pair of home runs by Larry Moss. Merchants carried a 20-13 lead into the bottom of the fifth when Harrison's erupted for 14 runs.
Merchants, also getting home runs from Kevin Glynn and Tim Piland, cut the deficit to 27-24 in the sixth but could get no closer.
In reaching the final, Merchants beat both the Chesapeake city champion, Core/Superior, 15-14, and Virginia Beach champ Crazy Charlie's, 17-4.
Chap Edwards had the key blow, a grand-slam home run, in the one-run victory over Core/Superior.
``We were really pleased with the team effort we had in the final,'' said Merchants manager Todd Rose. ``We were playing without two of our top players.''
Another Harrison's player, Dave Williams, won the men's home run hitting contest. He smacked three of five pitches out of the park in the final.
Another Portsmouth team, also sponsored by Harrison's/Commerce/Mario's, was the runner-up in the Coed Division. Harrison's lost to Hooter's of Norfolk, 10-6.
Dewey Fussell, Harrison's pitcher, was chosen as the most valuable player in this division. Fussell drove in 15 runs with eight home runs in three games.
Harrison's chalked up wins over Forty Something and Cumming's Footers to reach the final.
In the Women's Division, Cumming's Softball of Virginia Beach captured the championship with a 7-6 victory over Olympia/Superior of Norfolk. The MVP was Cumming's outfielder Barb Williams.
Cumming's ousted Portsmouth's New Generation in a first-round game.
In the Church Division, Bethel Baptist of Chesapeake was the champion. Bethel, led by tourney MVP Gary Johnson (who was 8-for-11 in three games), defeated Mount Pleasant Mennonite of Chesapeake in the final, 19-3.
Bethel knocked out Portsmouth champ Alliance Christian, 7-6. Alliance is a previous Church Division winner and had been the only Portsmouth team ever to take a championship in the Tidewater tourney. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by L. TODD SPENCER
Bernadette Ponder, left, holds onto the ball at first base to get
Chuck Boyle of Harrison out. Ponder plays for the Hooters of
Norfolk, who beat Harrison's 10-6.
by CNB