DATE: Tuesday, April 1, 1997                TAG: 9704010477

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: SUFFOLK                           LENGTH:   41 lines

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: CODY FLOWERS: NANSEMOND RIVER PITCHER DRIVES BATTERS CRAZY AND STRIKES THEM OUT.

The book on Nansemond River's Cody Flowers is to stay back in the box and wait . . . and wait . . . and wait.

Sounds simple, right? So is Chinese water torture.

Flowers' assortment of off-speed pitches drives batters crazy - and gets them out.

``The curve is my bread and butter,'' said the senior righthander, ``I'll throw that on any count. And I've added a sinking changeup this year.

``I don't know how hard I throw my fastball, but I try not to throw it a lot.''

Flowers threw top-ranked Great Bridge a curve last week, shutting down the Wildcats for 22/3 innings to preserve a 10-7 victory in the Warriors' first game in Group AAA.

Flowers allowed two hits and struck out three. He also stroked a two-run double that helped stake the Warriors to a 4-0 first-inning lead.

The first batter Flowers faced, John Curtice, reached on an error. Claudell Clark struck out, Ray Long legged out an infield hit and Chris Duda was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Flowers then struck out Shawn Wiggins to end the inning.

Great Bridge put runners on second and third with two outs in the fifth and Flowers retired Curtice on a two-hopper to first baseman Evan Spivey. The Wildcats went down in order in the sixth and the game was called because of darkness in the seventh.

Flowers started only two games last season but one of them was a victory over York in the Group AA Region I final. He beat Puerto Rico in the Palomino World Series last summer, but wasn't upset that Chip Runyon got the starting nod against Great Bridge.

``I've been used in relief before and I do well under pressure,'' he said. ``I had it in mind that if it was close I'd get in.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

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