THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, June 11, 1996 TAG: 9606110458
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DUMFRIES, VA. LENGTH: 69 lines
After making it look easy for most of the season, Cox found itself in a tough game Monday night and called on the classic baseball formula of clutch hutting and gutsy pitching to win its first state championship Monday night.
Cox eked out a season-low five hits against two Potomac pitchers, but three of them drove in runs and Jason Dubois went the distance for the first time since May 20 as the Falcons edged the Panthers 4-2.
Cox (27-1), which had never won a district championship or qualified for region play, finished the season with 22 straight victories.
``This is a great day for Cox,'' Falcons coach John Ingram said. ``To take a program that had been downtrodden and do this is the greatest moment of my career.''
The Falcons fell behind 1-0 in the second inning - the third time in the past six games they have spotted a team an early lead - then responded immediately.
Tim Lavigne and David Wilson drew walks around a groundout leading off the third. They moved up on a Dubois groundout and scored on Aaron Strausbaugh's single to right off Potomac starter and loser Brian McGuire.
Strausbaugh, who had struck out on three pitches his first time up, knew what to expect.
``He threw me three sliders in a row the first time,'' the senior third baseman said. ``I knew he'd throw me another one, so I scooted up on the plate and just put it in the gap.''
Strausbaugh stole second, one of five stolen bases by the Falcons, and came home on Jeff Tignor's single to right.
After Potomac (23-5) scored an unearned run to make it 3-2, Strausbaugh greeted reliever Bobby Graham with an RBI double in the fifth that scored courtesy runner Mike McIlravy with an insurance run.
Strausbaugh, still seeking a college offer to play baseball, was 8 for 12 with 7 RBIs in the three tournament games.
``I just felt like I was on,'' he said. ``I knew what I was doing on every pitch except in the first inning today.''
It took five innings and a threat from Ingram to take him out before Dubois found his comfort zone.
``I told Jason he was out of there anbd Tim Lavigne was finishing after the fifth,'' Ingram said. ``But he talked me into leaving him in. Maybe I made him mad.''
Dubois struck out six of the last seven batters he faced, including Potomac's leding hitter Allen Bock on a 3-2 fastball to end the game.
``He definitely had more on it at the end,'' said Bock, who had an RBI single and hit the ball hard three times.
Dubois allowed seven hits and walked two, but seemed to get the big strikeout when he needed it.
Potomac's last big big threat came in the fourth when Tim Licata doubled with one out and Brock Harrison follwed with a single. Licata stopped at third and when the throw got away from catcher Brandon Ramsey, Harrison took off for second. Ramsey threw out Harrison and Dubois struck out Larnell Hamn to end the inning. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MIKE HEFFNER/The Virginian Pilot
Cox's Aaron Straughsbaugh celebrates his RBi double in the fifth
inning as Potomac shortstop Barry Blake walks away. Straughsbaugh's
hit provided the final margin in the Falcons' 4-2 victory.
Photo
MIKE HEFFNER/The Virginian Pilot
Cox second baseman Ted Tignor relays to first after forcing
Potomac's Adam Wagner in the fifth inning. by CNB