THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 19, 1996 TAG: 9608190038
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: 56 lines
Jeremy Leidensdorf drilled the first pitch of the eighth inning over the left field fence, and Craig Darder singled to drive in what proved to be the winning run, giving Nederland, Texas, a 2-0 win over hometown favorite Dare County.
Dare County's Dougie Leary flied out to center to drive in Rico Pagan to cut the lead to 2-1. But reliever Joe Babineaux fanned pinch hitter Wade Temple to end the game.
The loss eliminates host team Dare County from the two-and-out tournament.
Nederland will face Omaha, Neb., in a loser's-bracket game at 5:30 Monday afternoon.
In other games, Ansonia, Conn., beat Nashville, Tenn., 3-1 and Iron Area, N.J., from the Morristown area, overpowered Coos Bay, Ore., 4-1.
A crowd of 4,965 watched another classic pitchers' duel. Both starters - Dare County's Joseph Brantley and Nederland's Josh Sanderson matched each other through five innings of play. Each pitched shutout baseball and allowed three hits.
For the second night in a row, fans at Coy Tillett Sr. Memorial Field witnessed a nightcap pitching gem. On Saturday, Dare's Foye Minton lost 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth to Coos Bay, Ore.
Dare's Brantley, a standout at Bertie County High, struck out five. In the fifth, with runners at the corners and two out, Brantley made his best pitch. A curve that nailed the inside corner got Jeremy Leidensdorf on a called strike to end Nederland's biggest threat.
With one out in the sixth, Brantley was relieved by Toler. Toler snuffed a Nederland rally when he forced Craig Darder to hit into a double play.
Sanderson also completed his night's work after five, when Slade Watts came on in relief. Sanderson fanned eight, striking out the side in the fifth. He fanned Dare pinch-hitter Michael White with runners at the corners and two out in the fourth.
In the seventh, with two out and two on, Toler struck again when he caught pinch-hitter Wesley Cooksey looking on a third strike.
Like Toler, Watts sparkled in the sixth. A Gerald Crawford single was followed by a Toler walk. Doug Leary laid down a great sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring position. Watts then got Brantley to ground to the mound for the second out. Shaun Barrera flied out to center to end the home team's chance for a precious run.
In Monday's other game, Alacosta, Calif., will face Hammond, Ind., in a winner's bracket game at 8 p.m. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by DREW C. WILSON, The Virginian-Pilot
Above: Ansonia, Conn., player Fran DeGennaro strides between second
and third base on a third-inning double by teammate Corey
Somerville, who knocked in two runs to put the team 3-1 over
Nashville, Tenn.
Below, right: Hammond, Ind., players celebrate their 1-0 victory
over Omaha, Neb. by CNB