DATE: Wednesday, August 27, 1997            TAG: 9708270766

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BRIAN J. FRENCH, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: HAMPTON                           LENGTH:   41 lines

ROADSTERS MEET DOOM IN OPENER STRONG PITCHING LETS ORLANDO TAKE EARLY LEAD OVER ROADSTERS IN CHAMPIONSHIP SOFTBALL SERIES.

So much for the idea that softball is only a sport for the young.

It was the two oldest Orlando Wahoos - Debbie Doom and Sue Lewis-Newton - who created the big plays for their team, which clipped the Virginia Roadsters 3-1 on Tuesday night in the Women's Professional Fastpitch championship series opener at War Memorial Stadium.

Lewis-Newton hit a second-inning home run and had a hand in all three of Orlando's runs. Meanwhile, Doom struck out eight - including the last four batters - to remain undefeated since June 14.

Lewis-Newton scored in the fourth inning on Wendy Johnson's triple off Ali Franzen and drove in Lisa Bassi in the sixth with a single.

The Roadsters scored their lone run in the bottom of the second when Melissa Mikolajczak drove in Kelly Green on a single up the middle.

It was only the eighth earned run allowed by Doom in more than 120 innnings pitched this season.

Virginia's last opportunity to cut Orlando's margin came in the sixth. But after the Roadsters put runners on second and third with one out, a strikeout and pop fly ended the rally.

The crowd of 3,132 at War Memorial was the largest of the season for the Roadsters.

``It's nice to play in front of a loud crowd,'' Lewis-Newton said. ``(Some of us) have played a lot of international ball, and all that experience helps us deal with loud crowds.''

The Wahoos will send 30-game winner Sarah Dawson to the mound tonight against Gena Weber in the second game of the best-of-five series. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

IAN MARTIN/The Virginian-Pilot

Virginia Roadsters infielders share high fives with pitcher Ali

Franzen after an Orlando strikeout Tuesday night during Virginia's

3-1 loss.

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