DATE: Saturday, May 31, 1997                TAG: 9705310645

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   49 lines

PRINCESS ANNE OUTDUELS SALEM TO WIN REGION SOFTBALL CROWN

Princess Anne's Melissa Hirsch scattered five hits and worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam as the Cavaliers outdueled Salem 1-0 to defend their Eastern Region softball title Friday at Princess Anne.

The Sun Devils, who split their four previous meetings with the Cavaliers and are the only team to defeat Princess Anne this season, appeared destined to erase their one-run deficit when Amanda Zollicoffer, Vicki Holliday and Katie Moyer all reached safely to open the fifth.

But while Hirsch's previous three games included a one-hitter and a no-hitter, her best was yet to come. In an overpowering eight-pitch sequence, the co-Beach District player of the year got Dwan Riddick to pop out to short rightfield and struck out Jennifer Blair and Lauren Sparrow to retire the side.

``That inning, that was Melissa,'' Cavaliers catcher Sarah Ravan said. ``Words can't describe how well she pitched.''

The Cavaliers (24-2) will launch another assault on a Group AAA state title Tuesday, when they host Central Region runner-up Prince George (19-3) at 7 p.m. Princess Anne fell in the state quarterfinals last year.

``We're a little better prepared this year and we have a little more talent,'' Ravan said.

Salem (21-4) will begin state tournament play at Central champion Varina (22-1) Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Hirsch (24-2) figured to need her ``A'' game against Salem's Bronwyn Blair, the region's only other 20-game winner (21-4) and owner of the other half of the Beach's player of the year award. But Blair's day got off to an inauspicious start. Kelly Hartzog ripped a double into the right-centerfield gap to open the game, then scored when Blair threw the ball away after fielding Hirsch's sacrifice bunt.''

``I was thinking, `Well, this might be one of those innings,'' Blair said. ``But then I told myself, `No, no, no. You're going to get it together.' ''

Blair was in command from there, limiting the Cavaliers to just five more hits and striking out six. No other Cavalier reached third base.

But it wasn't quite enough to beat Hirsch, won fanned 10 and seemed particularly potent whenever the Sun Devils threatened. Blair could only watch from the on-deck circle as Hirsch fielded Sparrow's two-out, seventh-inning one-hopper and fired to first to seal the deal on another Cavaliers championship. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by GARY C. KNAPP

Princess Anne's Kelly Slingerland, left, hugs Kristi Nixon as PA

teammates Meghan Shanley and Emily Prothero look on.

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