THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 14, 1996 TAG: 9604130113
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 34 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, CLIPPER SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Long : 108 lines
SHHH! DON'T TELL the Oscar Smith softball team that it's off to its best start in five years.
The Tigers, the surprise of the Southeastern District, had a 5-0 record before Friday's game with Churchland. Last year, Oscar Smith was 11-7 and finished fourth in the district. In the three years before that, the Tigers had won a total of five games.
But this year, Smith has its eye on an Eastern Region berth, at least, and is hoping for a shot at the district title.
``I'm not surprised at all,'' Tiger coach Shane Smith said. ``I know a lot of people probably are. We've been working hard and have a lot of good players that people don't know about.''
Chrissy James, one of two seniors, is the Tigers' ace after being the backup pitcher last season. Smith said that while she won't have a lot of strikeouts, she consistently makes batters ground out and has cut down on her walks. She's only walked seven this season.
The Oscar Smith defense, led by senior shortstop Starr Parker, hasn't buckled under pressure and has made the big outs with runners in scoring position. The Tigers have only committed nine errors in five games and have surrendered only four runs in the past four games.
Amber Parker, who has started at second for the Tigers for two years, has also been a pleasant surprise on the mound. In two starts, Amber has allowed just three hits.
``She's not a pitcher by trade,'' Smith said. ``She's a great athlete and a hard worker. She worked all by herself pitching up against a wall this summer.''
Smith added that the team's youth has been a major factor in its early success.
``We have a lot of young kids and they don't know about (traditional powers) Great Bridge and Western Branch,'' he said. ``They're playing pretty good defense and their confidence is high. They think they can beat anybody right now.''
The Tigers will get that chance next week when they meet Western Branch on Tuesday and Great Bridge on Friday.
``We're looking forward to it,'' Smith said.
Added Great Bridge coach Noble Palmer: ``Oscar Smith is just licking their chops to get a hold of us. On paper, it looks like a lot of teams can beat us. And on paper, they probably can.''
NEW DIGS: Western Branch's baseball team gets a new home next week and it will force a fundamental change on the Bruins. Their current park of the past 15 years is a hitter-friendly 311 feet to all fields. The new park is 325 down the lines, 360 in the power alleys and 375 to straightaway center.
``We'll have to change certain strategies, especially cutoffs,'' Bruins coach Jim Stanko said. ``At our field now you can throw to any base from any spot on the field.''
FIELD OF . . .PUDDLES: The Western Branch softball team has been bailing itself out all season.
Rain has put the Bruins - along with the rest of the Southeastern District - three games behind. And Western Branch softball coach Chris Ake is not at all pleased with her team's field conditions.
``Our field is 10 inches below what it should be,'' she said. ``The recreation department works on our field, but when it rains for three or four days, we really have to put in a lot of extra time on our field.''
Ake has a group of parents and students who help out in their spare time, but, she said, the baseball team will have it made with its new facility and shouldn't have many rainouts.
``I have begged for a new field,'' she said. ``But I was told that we can't afford it.''
STARTING OVER: After losing five starters to graduation, the Great Bridge softball team is starting over - especially on offense.
Catcher Marni Magyar and center fielder Emily Outzs - two of the league's best hitters - are gone, but Elizabeth Bain, a senior left fielder, and Heather Ward, a junior catcher, are warming to their former teammates' spots.
Bain, who hit .460 last season, is batting .500. Ward, a first year starter, is hitting .460 with two home runs.
``(Ward) is going hard,'' Great Bridge coach Noble Palmer said. ``She's very aggressive and wants to be involved as much as she can defensively. She's flat out tough and she's calling her own pitches.''
Speaking of pitching, the Wildcats are blessed with one of the best in the league. Denise Wack, a junior, threw a one-hitter and fanned seven against then fifth-ranked Granby in a 1-0 win. A week earlier, the Wildcats fell 4-3 to the Comets.
``We can play good defense,'' Palmer said. ``My concern is hitting the ball and getting on base. We need to go through some wars together. We're a middle of the road team and we're going to have to dig deep. We have the most balanced district we've ever had.''
WHIFF: There is a new Dr. K in Chesapeake. Indian River's Keith Reynolds struck out 19 batters in 7 1/3 innings over three appearances against Tallwood and Lakeland in the Pizza Hut Baseball Classic.
Braves coach Steve West has brought Reynolds along slowly, allowing him to pitch only two and three innings at a stretch. Reynolds is more evidence that a pitcher doesn't have to be big to throw hard.
He finished second in the state wrestling tournament at 140 pounds.
Reynolds was expected to make his first extended performance Thursday against Western Branch. That is the first of six games in nine days for the Braves.
Reynolds' teammate Skip Harrison was MVP of the tournament. Harrison, a catcher, was 7 of 12 at the plate with 7 RBIs. Kevin Chambley, a sophomore first baseman and outfielder, was 7 of 16 with 6 RBIs. MEMO: Staff writer Robin Brinkley contributed to this report ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by HUY NGUYEN
Oscar Smith senior Chrissy James is the Tigers' ace after being the
backup pitcher last season.
by CNB