THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 11, 1996 TAG: 9607110562
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: 54 lines
Somebody forgot to tell the West All-Star softball team that a storm was fast approaching.
There was plenty of warning that Monacan's Michelle Meadows' bat was about to rip though the outfield as she drilled a pair of long fouls down the leftfield line. But early signs were ignored and she belted a two-run, 225-foot home run inside Briarfield Park in the bottom of the ninth inning as the East stormed to a 2-1 victory over the West in Wednesday's Virginia High School Coaches All-Star Game.
``I was trying not to think when I got up there,'' said Meadows, who was voted MVP of the East team. ``My nerves were shaking. I didn't even know how far the ball went. I just put my head down and ran.''
So did Great Bridge graduate Dana Crisostomo, who was on second after a walk and a passed ball.
``I was thinking it was over (the leftfielder's) head and I should go,'' said Crisostomo, who will play for Norfolk State next year.
``We knew we had a lot of talent on the team and that if we stayed together, we'd win it.''
Things weren't always so optimistic for the East as it stranded six batters in scoring position while the West took a 1-0 lead.
The West broke through in top of the fourth when Laura Warner of Richlands reached first on an infield hit, stole second and scored when catcher Kari Mathias' pickoff attempt was wild.
CLASSIC BELL: Surehanded shortstop Dawn Bell of Bayside took a spill late in the game when, as usual, she sacrificed herself for an out. Mathias caught Katie McKnight trying to steal and threw to Bell at second. Bell came off the bag and into the basepath to save the errant throw, collided with McKnight and managed to hang on to the ball for the out.
SEVENTH-INNING STRETCH: Seven players from Hampton Roads got to stretch their legs for the East in the top half of the seventh. Starting in the outfield were Nicole Belote of Western Branch in left, Crisostomo in center and Salem's Michelle Pritchard in right. Bell was at shortstop, Western Branch's Calee Morris at first, Heather Behrends of Nansemond River at third and Tracey Berger of Bayside behind the plate.
TIME SHARE: With 18 players on each roster, coaches managed to find a spot for everybody at some time or another. Crisostomo was the only South Hampton Roads player in the lineup for all nine innings. Tidewater Player of the Year Lisa Slingerland from Princess Anne split time at first with Morris. Belote started at third, then re-entered in the outfield. Bell was a pinch runner in the second inning and later moved to short, and Pritchard moved from leftfield to right in the final innings. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK/The Virginian-Pilot
Western Branch's Nicole Belote's steal of second was for naught: The
umpire had called time. The East won 2-1. by CNB