THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, August 21, 1996 TAG: 9608211053
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: 51 lines
Ryan O'Donnell hit a 1-1 pitch over the left-field wall with two outs in the top of the sixth to give Iron Area, N.J., a 1-0 win over Ansonia, Conn., Tuesday night.
O'Donnell's blast - estimated at 345 feet - was all Iron Area starter Jason Quintana needed. He allowed only five hits in the complete game victory. With the win, Iron Area advances to Friday's semifinal round of the 1996 Babe Ruth 16-18 World Series where it will face Alacosta, Calif., in the winners' bracket. Ansonia will take on Omaha, Neb., in tonight's 8 p.m. elimination game.
Iron Area and Ansonia were locked in a scoreless tie through five innings, as 4,369 fans watched a pitching classic. Ansonia left-hander Patrick Lynch - at 6-7 the tallest player in the tournament - and Iron Area's right-hander Quintana kept the bats quiet through five innings, allowing five hits between them.
The hurlers remained steady despite eight errors - five by Iron Area and three by Ansonia.
``I knew I didn't have all my gas,'' Quintana said. ``I knew I had to hit my spots and keep them off base. I didn't even use my changeup. They had a great hitting team. I knew I had my work cut out for me.''
Fireworks started in the Iron Area sixth. Lynch struck out Chris Carter and got Josh Ury to fly out to right for two outs.
Then, O'Donnell - a .460 hitter - drilled an inside curve to give Iron Area the lead to stay.
``It was a curve on the inner half of the plate,'' O'Donnell said. ``He had been trying to work me outside. I think he saw that I was trying to adjust and he came inside. I got a good piece of it.''
Ansonia, however, threatened in its half of the sixth. Brian Chaplik singled, but was thrown out going to second. Jason Lydem then singled, and went to third when Regan Samaniego misplayed the ball. But Quintana retired Dan Ortiz and pinch-hitter Steve Stonoha.
In the seventh, Ansonia again tried to rally. With one out, Brian Woods doubled to the base of the centerfield fence. But reliever James ``Bubba'' Young got Jeff Gregorio to ground out on a nice play by shortstop Ian Magley. Then Corey Somerville flied out to Samaniego, who squeezed the ball like a precious diamond to preserve a gem of a win for the New Jersey team.
Quintana, who struck out five in the game, was not upset at being pulled in the seventh.
``I wasn't upset when I got pulled,'' Quintana said. ``We operate as a team. I'm glad Bubba was able to come in and do the job.''
O'Donnell, called ``O.D.'' by his teammates, had only one reaction following his homer.
``I came in and told them six more outs, six more outs. That was all that mattered.'' by CNB