THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, May 23, 1996 TAG: 9605230539
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMI FRANKENBERRY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 52 lines
First Colonial scored at least three runs in each of the first four innings to beat Ocean Lakes 13-4 and gain its ninth straight Eastern Region berth in a Beach District tournament semifinal Wednesday at Trant Field.
The second-seeded Patriots will meet No. 1 Cox, a 5-3 winner over Kempsville in the first semifinal, tonight at 7 for the tournament title.
The Patriots (18-4) said the regional berth and an 11-1 loss to Cox on Monday for the region's top seed helped motivate them against the Dolphins (13-9).
``The other day, coach (Norbie) Wilson gave us a talk and we pulled together,'' said Steve Tyler, who went 3 for 4 with a home run. ``We really picked it up at practice yesterday, and we came in and things went our way.''
Especially early against Ocean Lakes. The Patriots forced five Dolphins pitching changes by the fourth inning.
After spotting the Dolphins an unearned run in the top of the first, Tyler led off with a double and Nate Frost followed with a single. The two scored on Brad Tetlow's high fly ball to center, which the Dolphins' Rob Robinson misjudged. Tetlow then scored on another error.
First Colonial got three more runs in the second on Tyler's home run, singles by Tetlow and Butler and Ryan Dunbar's sacrifice fly. A four-run third, capped by George's two-run double and a run-scoring ground ball by Dunbar, made it 10-1.
Frost finished 3 for 3 with an RBI, while Butler added two hits and three RBIs for the Patriots. Ed Manley (7-1) pitched five innings, striking out three and walking five for the win, while starter John Simon (2-1), who re-entered the game in the third, took the loss for Ocean Lakes.
In the first semifinal, Ted Tignor struck out a career-high 11 and pitched a complete game as the Falcons (20-1) shook off five errors, a season high.
Tignor (5-0) struck out seven of the first 11 batters he faced and didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning, when Derick Hofler reached on an infield single.
``I just felt good the whole game,'' said Tignor, who walked just one. ``I felt my second wind late and it helped me get through it.''
The Chiefs (11-11) scored two runs on three errors in the fourth. Jason Montanez struck out but reached first after the ball got past catcher Brandon Ramsey. Montanez went to second on Casey Costello's sacrifice bunt and to third on Hofler's hit. Robbie Morrow's grounder then squeaked through the legs of shortstop Tim LaVigne, scoring two runs.
``I just keep throwing and know the next time they'll catch it,'' Tignor said of the Falcons' errors. ``Everybody has a game like that. We might have come in a little too relaxed (after receiving a regional berth).''
Jeff Tignor went 2 for 3 with two RBIs, and Ramsey added two hits and a sacrifice fly for Cox. by CNB