Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, May 31, 1990 TAG: 9005310319
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BOB TEITLEBAUM SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
At the time, the Highlanders had a one-run lead but hadn't gotten a hit in three innings.
"We do all the plays defensively, now let's start hitting," Harrison told his players as the Highlanders came to bat in the bottom of the fourth.
Glenvar responded by scoring eight runs and went on to wipe out St. Paul 13-0 in the first round of the Virginia High School League Group A tournament.
The Highlanders (19-5), defending state champions, advance to a semifinal Friday at 7 p.m. at the Salem Civic Center fields against the winner of today's Cumberland-Sussex game. Parry McCluer, an 8-3 winner at Honaker and the other Pioneer District team in the tournament, plays New Kent at 8:30 p.m. in the other semifinal.
"We're not the type of team that bangs it [the ball] around the field," said Harrison about his speech. "We have to score two or three runs an inning and keep pecking away.
"Their pitcher got rattled when April Watt got the first hard hit. Then everyone said if she did it, we can do it. She ought to be the player of the game because she also played a heck of game at catcher."
Watt led off the big inning with a double. It became an inning of terror for St. Paul (12-3) and pitcher Stacey Elam, who gave up eight hits.
Meanwhile, Glenvar pitcher Stephanie Martin was zipping along with a no-hitter. Martin escaped a minor jam in the sixth after a leadoff walk when she covered first on a perfectly executed double play that went from the pitcher to the shortstop to the first baseman.
"That's the first time we've done that, but we work at it in practice," Martin said. "We've had an injury and this was the first time Heather [Browning] has played first."
The injury was to leadoff hitter Terri Beamer, who sat out the game with a twisted knee suffered in the final of the Region C tournament. Her status for the rest of the state tournament is day-to-day.
Martin's no-hit bid ended in the seventh, when Elam blasted a leadoff double.
"I wasn't aware of the no-hitter," Martin said. "I was just going to pitch and not worry about anything else."
Martin became aware of the situation when Harrison visited the mound after an infield hit and walk loaded the bases with none out. Second baseman Tammi Beamer threw out one runner at home, then Martin got a strikeout and caught a pop to preserve the shutout.
"We wanted that shutout. That's why Tammi threw home," said Martin.
Stacy Setzer led Glenvar's attack with three RBI.
St. Paul 0000000-024 Glenvar 001822x-13121
Elam and Bellamy; Martin and Watt. W - Martin (10-3). L - Elam (4-2).
by CNB