THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, June 4, 1996 TAG: 9606040463
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 59 lines
At 5 p.m. today Bayside plays at Manchester (19-2), and will face a tough pitcher in Natasha Johnson, who has a season ERA of 0.31 and did not allow a run in her three region games.
We've gone a long way to get here in four years and we've finally made it,'' Bell said. ``Even if we don't go on, we've still had a good season.''
Bell's season has been better than good. On the field, there's not much the sure-handed shortstop doesn't pick up. She committed only five errors. She is also the Marlins' leading hitter with a .500 average. She's stolen 19 bases and scored 39 runs. Bell didn't get a qualifying score on the SAT, but will play with a grant at Louisburg Junior College.
VIRGINIA BEACH - For Bayside softball player Dawn Bell, life has been about overcoming one adversity after another. But though it all, she seems to come out a winner.
The obstacles started early. Her parents, young and unhappy with their marriage, gave up custody of their month-old daughter and two-year-old son to Bell's grandparents.
``My parents gave me and my brother to my grandparents and then my dad went one way and my mom went the other,'' the senior said. ``But it doesn't upset me. I'm really happy with the way my life went. My grandparents have given me all the love and support I need. If I wouldn't have lived with them, I wouldn't be where I am today.
Her aunts - Bell and her brother joined her grandparents' four other children in the household - introduced her to sports, where she found her niche in life.
It looked as though Bell's career on the softball diamond might have a perfect ending when Bayside took a 19-0 record into the Beach District tournament final. But a 2-1 loss to Princess Anne ended that.
In the Eastern Region playoffs, the Marlins seemed to be back to form after blasting Lake Taylor 12-6 in the quarterfinals and a near-perfect 1-0 win over Western Branch in the semis. But Bayside and Bell again fell short of the brass ring, losing to Princess Anne 4-3 in the region final.
Now Bell and the Marlins have one more chance to write the winning script, but as region runner-up they have to take to the road.
At 5 p.m. today Bayside plays at Manchester (19-2), and will face a tough pitcher in Natasha Johnson, who has a season ERA of 0.31 and did not allow a run in her three region games.
``We've gone a long way to get here in four years and we've finally made it,'' Bell said. ``Even if we don't go on, we've still had a good season.''
Bell's season has been better than good. On the field, there's not much the sure-handed shortstop doesn't pick up. She committed only five errors. She is also the Marlins' leading hitter with a .500 average. She's stolen 19 bases and scored 39 runs. Bell didn't get a qualifying score on the SAT, but will play with a grant at Louisburg Junior College.
``I've been coaching for 34 years,'' Bayside coach Conrad Parker said, ``and she's by far the best athlete I've seen come through here.'' Like all athletes, Bell has known defeat. Unlike many, she's overcome more than her share of adversity and kept on going to meet the next challenge. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Dawn Bell and Bayside want to put together a win streak at state
after losses in the district and region finals. by CNB