DATE: Sunday, April 6, 1997                 TAG: 9704090716

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C8   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   47 lines

STRONG HITTING KEY FOR PRINCESS ANNE AFTER A LATE BURST, THEY DOWNED SALEM TO WIN BEACH BASH SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT

Want to know how hard the Princess Anne softball team is hitting the ball lately?

Just ask Cavaliers shortstop Kelly Hartzog. Better yet, just look at her left arm.

During a seven-hit, seven-run, seventh-inning onslaught that led to a 10-1 victory over Salem in the championship of the inaugural Beach Bash Softball Tournament, Hartzog took a rocket off the bat of Melissa Hirsch while standing near third base.

Hartzog had started the rally with a triple to the right-centerfield fence.

``I saw it, but couldn't move out of the way,'' said Hartzog - showing off the ball stitches that were literally imprinted on her forearm.

``We've been hitting really good lately.''

That's an understatement.

In four victories to take the title, top-ranked Princess Anne (7-0) slammed out 50 hits.

``They hit the ball off (Salem pitcher Bronwyn Blair) as good as anybody has since I've been been around,'' Sun Devils coach Larry Bowman said. ``As good as our district is, they'll be hard to beat hitting the ball like that.''

It was a curious ending to a game that through five innings had been a classic Beach matchup of great pitching and outstanding defense. Heading into the sixth, the two were tied at one apiece and had combined to leave 11 runners stranded.

But in the sixth, Princess Anne went up 3-1 when Sarah Ravan reached on a walk and Jennifer Kanten nailed a double over the centerfielder's head. Meghan Shanley then dropped in a two-run blooper to short centerfield.

Salem (6-1) responded with only one hit in the bottom of the sixth - setting up Princess Anne's big last-inning rally.

``I think this is the best hitting team I've ever had,'' Cavaliers coach Dennis Nixon said. ``Somebody always steps up and gets it going.''

Once it got going, it was all over for Salem. Princess Anne got two or more hits from seven batters, with Kanten leading the way with a 3-for-4 effort. Ravan, Sarah Smith and Mereyah Breeden were each 2-for-3.

Blair led the Sun Devils with a 2-for-3 effort and had a walk. She only managed two strikeouts of Princess Anne batters, ironically both coming during the big seventh inning.

Hirsch struggled at the plate, going hitless, but not on the mound - where she struck out seven.

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