THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, May 4, 1996 TAG: 9605040526
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 42 lines
Maury's Rick Hart shut out Lake Taylor for the second time this season Friday, leaving the fourth-ranked Commodores in command of the Eastern District baseball race.
The 3-0 victory at Azalea was not without its anxious moments, however, as the Titans stranded three runners on third and had another thrown out at the plate to end the sixth.
``I made a few good pitches in tough situations,'' Hart said. ``They put a lot more pressure on me this time.''
Hart won the first meeting 1-0 and it took only two batters Friday for the Commodores to stake him to another lead. Shortstop Aaron Ambrose drove a high fastball from Robbie Hale into a strong crosswind and watched it sail over the left-center field fence for an opposite field home run.
``I thought it was a pop fly at first,'' Ambrose said. ``I guess I hit it better than I thought.''
Ambrose also singled in the fourth, stole second after getting picked off and scored the second run on a double by Taylor Blair.
Maury (11-3, 4-0) completed the scoring in the seventh on a single by Hart, a sacrifice by Tim Mason and a double by Joe Libbey.
Maury (11-3, 4-0) leads Lake Taylor and Granby by two games in the loss column with four to play.
Lake Taylor (8-6, 3-2) played without shortstop and leading hitter Vashaun Brown and first baseman/designated hitter Jeremiah Stokes.
Brown's mother withheld him from the game so he could attend a church function Friay night and Titans coach Towny Townsend dismissed him from the team pending a review by the players. Stokes sat out for violating a team rule.
The loss capped a wasted afternoon for Townsend, who was involved in a car accident on his way to the game. There were no injuries. by CNB