
DATE: Friday, August 15, 1997               TAG: 9708130189

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 16   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PATTI WALSH, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  147 lines

WOMEN'S CROWN STAYS IN CHESAPEAKE RATTLERS WIN SLOW-PITCH FINAL AGAINST '96 CHAMP, SUPERIORS; 4 OTHER CITY TEAMS LOSE IN DIVISION FINALS.

L AST YEAR, there was a change of command.

And last Friday night proved that the new regime in women's slow pitch softball is only growing stronger.

Two Chesapeake teams - The Rattlers and Superiors - met in the title game of the 16th Annual Tidewater Softball Championships at Princess Anne Park in Virginia Beach.

Last year, Superiors, which finished eighth in a 37-team field in the 1996 Women's World Series in Indianapolis, became the first women's team to bring a Tidewater crown to Chesapeake since the tournament's inception.

The Rattlers became the second by staging a 7-2 victory over the defending champs as MVP Marjorie Dyke's went 3-for-3 and drove in two runs.

The Rattlers struck in the first inning when Paula Johnson, aboard on an error, came in on Dyke's shallow single to left. Bernadette Power then knocked in Cynthia Merritt and Dyke came home on a Wintresse Paige sacrifice.

The Rattlers held Superiors hitless until the third when, after Christi Childress and Lisa Corprew reached base on errors, Chris Schaff singled, scoring Childress. Corprew made it 3-2 when she came in on Dawn Szilagyi's deep sacrifice fly to center.

The Rattlers pulled away in the fourth, scoring four runs on three hits and three errors. With two out and frustrated by The Rattlers speed on the basepaths, Superiors tossed the ball around the infield and outfield, allowing Patricia Collins and Calley Parker to score.

Superiors, who had beaten the Rattlers for the Chesapeake city title, managed just seven hits. Gina Sivells led the losers with two hits.

Power was 2-for-2 and walked intentionally for The Rattlers and Juanita Moore added two hits.

PROS. . . OR CONS?: Superiors' Trena Clark got a sour taste of the world of professional fast-pitch softball when she challenged for a alternate spot on the Virginia Roadsters roster this spring.

``I feel like they didn't choose the best players,'' said the left fielder, who happily returned to play in three slow-pitch leagues.

Hopes of making the bigs in the future?

``Nah,'' she said.``I don't have the time. Back to playing to slow-pitch.''

FAST-PITCH, TAKE TWO: In addition to playing for the slow-pitch city championship in consecutive years, Superiors outfielder Lisa Corprew also spent one night a week this summer in Virginia Beach's new fast-pitch league.

The league, designed for players over 18 who have completed their high school eligibility, fielded four teams with a maximum of 15 players.

Corprew, the 1996 women's Tidewater Softball Championship MVP and head softball coach at Bayside, took a team of ex-Beach District players to a second place regular season finish before being upset by Grand Slam U.S.A. in the first round of the city championships.

STRONG CHESAPEAKE SHOWING: City teams played in all four of the Tidewater championship games, but only the Rattlers came away winners.

Virginia Beach defeated Chesapeake teams to take a pair of titles - avenging a Tidewater title shutout last year, while Portsmouth took the other crown.

Norfolk failed to win a crown.

Virginia Beach got back on the winning track by winning the church men's and coed titles over Chesapeake entries.

Beach champ Go-Ye took the church title with an upset victory over Chesapeake champion Bethel Baptist - a winner of several past Tidewater Championships.

Beach winner Cummings/Easton completed an unbeaten city league-related season with an 18-5 victory over Chesapeake winner TNT/Goose Creek.

The Harrison's men's team won its third-straight Tidewater title with what is believed to be a record-setting victory over Chesapeake champion Northwest/deBeer. Harrison's belted out 49 runs - believed to be the most by one team in the tournament's history. Northwest managed only 13 runs.

SKILLS COMPETITIONS: Harrison's Steve Vernon hit three home runs in the five allotted swings to take the home run-hitting contest.

Terry Dickerson of Superior repeated in the finesse competition, hitting three of the five allotted swings through the divider cones between second base and the shortstop' area and between second base and the second baseman's area.

L AST YEAR, there was a change of command.

And last Friday night proved that the new regime in women's slow-pitch softball is only growing stronger.

Two Chesapeake teams - The Rattlers and Superiors - met in the title game of the 16th Annual Tidewater Softball Championships at Princess Anne Park in Virginia Beach.

The Rattlers became the second by staging a 7-2 victory over the defending champs as MVP Marjorie Dyke's went 3-for-3 and drove in two runs.

Superiors, who had beaten the Rattlers for the Chesapeake city title, managed just seven hits. Gina Sivells led the losers with two hits.

Power was 2-for-2 and walked intentionally for The Rattlers and Juanita Moore added two hits.

PROS . . . OR CONS? Superiors' Trena Clark got a sour taste of the world of professional fast-pitch softball when she challenged for a alternate spot on the Virginia Roadsters roster this spring.

``I feel like they didn't choose the best players,'' said the leftfielder, who happily returned to play in three slow-pitch leagues.

Hopes of making the bigs in the future?

``Nah,'' she said.``I don't have the time. Back to playing to slow-pitch.''

The league, designed for players over 18 who have completed their high school eligibility, fielded four teams with a maximum of 15 players.

STRONG CHESAPEAKE SHOWING: City teams played in all four of the Tidewater championship games, but only the Rattlers came away winners.

Virginia Beach defeated Chesapeake teams to take a pair of titles - avenging a Tidewater title shutout last year, while Portsmouth took the other crown.

Norfolk failed to win a crown.

Virginia Beach got back on the winning track by winning the church men's and coed titles over Chesapeake entries.

Beach champ Go-Ye took the church title with an upset victory over Chesapeake champion Bethel Baptist - a winner of several past Tidewater Championships.

Beach winner Cummings/Easton completed an unbeaten city league-related season with an 18-5 victory over Chesapeake winner TNT/Goose Creek.

SKILLS COMPETITIONS: Harrison's Steve Vernon hit three home runs in the five allotted swings to take the home run-hitting contest.

The Rattlers, avenging a loss to Superiors in the Chesapeake city

title game, become just the second women's team to bring the

championship to Chesapeake, winning 7-2 over the defending

champions.

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