THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 23, 1996 TAG: 9608230113
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: 53 lines
And then there were three.
Nashville (Tenn.) scored four times in the first inning, and Brandon Jaggers tossed a three-hit shutout to beat Omaha (Neb.) 6-0 Thursday night to advance to the semifinals of the 1996 Babe Ruth 16-18 World Series.
Nashville joins Iron Area (N.J.) and Alacosta (Calif.) in Friday's semifinal round. Iron Area and Alacosta play at noon today. Nashville will take on the loser of that game at 3 p.m. The winners of today's games will advance to Saturday's World Series championship game at 1:30 p.m.
Omaha, whose 7-6 comeback win over Hammond (Ind.) electrified the crowed Wednesday night, goes home.
Today's semifinal, as well as the Saturday final, will be carried live on Home Team Sports, the Bethesda, Md.-based sports cable network. Bob Rathbun and former Baltimore Oriole Scott McGregor will call the action.
Nashville earned its third series victory in the same fashion as wins over Coos Bay (Ore.)and Hammond: putting runs on the board early and often.
Nashville loaded the bases in the first. Jeff Parsons drew a leadoff walk, then Jason Adams was hit by a pitch, and Donnie Ross walked. Then Josh Pride hit a chopper toOmaha pitcher Brian Zaversnik, who made a nice play to get Parsons at home. Then Kyle Thomas drew a walk to score Adams.
Then, Mike Parsley hit a hard grounder to Omaha shortstop Brandt Vlieger, who couldn't make the play. Ross and Pride scored to make it 3-0.
Jaggers then helped his own cause, doubling to drive home Thomas, and it was 4-0.
Omaha tried to muster a two-out rally in the second, loading the bases on singles by Eric Brown and Chris Kanousky, and a walk to Troy Hackendahl. But Jaggers forced his Omaha counterpart Zaversnik to ground out to third.
Jaggers only allowed three hits and struck out six in the complete game win.
``I knew I was getting my pitches high in the second inning,'' Jaggers said. ``I started placing my fast ball. After the second my knuckle ball was working. The guys behind me played well. Thanks to them and the Good Lord, we were able to win.''
Nashville got some insurance in the fifth. Pride walked, and Thomas followed with an RBI double. Two batters later, Eric King doubled to score Thomas to make it 6-0.
Parsons went 2-for-2 on the night, with a double and triple. Thomas collected two RBIs.
For Nashville Manager Mike Rippetoe, the fast start was the difference.
``We set the tone early with the runs,'' Rippetoe said. It really did make the difference. I'd rather be the chased than the chaser any day. But Brandon came through for us tonight. Our pitching was getting a little thin, but he threw some consistent stuff.''
Rippetoe said that even with the comfortable lead, he had thoughts of Omaha's Wednesday night comeback win. by CNB