
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 12, 1994                    TAG: 9406090198 
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST                     PAGE: 50    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, Correspondent 
DATELINE: 940612                                 LENGTH: Medium

SOUTH GRANVILLE ENDS CURRITUCK'S BID FOR SECOND STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

{LEAD} In a battle of two former state champions, it was the 2A veterans that prevailed as South Granville ended Currituck County's dream of a second straight state championship with a 14-3 win over the Lady Knights last week in the North Carolina state softball playoffs.

The Lady Knights, who won the 1A state title last season, finished the year at 23-2. Their only other loss came to Northeastern earlier in the season.

{REST} The Lady Vikings, who upped their record to 22-0 and returned to the 2A championship game, banged out 19 hits, including three straight homers in the second inning. Leading 2-1, South Granville plated seven runs in the second inning to take a commanding lead. The three homers were smacked over Currituck's outfielders.

``I talked to some of their supporters and coach after the game and they said this is the best hitting game they've had all season,'' said Currituck head coach Tom Davies. ``I had the outfielders playing at 180 feet and balls were still going over their heads.''

The Lady Vikings gave Currituck a little of their own medicine. The Lady Knights had been pounding opponents themselves early on and taking the other team out of the game. Last week, the tables were turned.

``They just didn't let down any,'' Davies said. ``They hit from inning one on.''

Coming into the contest, Davies had made his team aware of the unusual field that South Granville calls home. The right field area slopes up at a nearly 45 degree angle and the Lady Viking batters shoot for that hill. Davies said the unusual field did not affect the Lady Knights.

``The field never was a factor. Everything they hit to right field was caught by Lisa Pearce,'' he said. ``Having no fence was a factor, though. All of the homeruns would have been outs at our place. It was just their day and not ours.''

Because of the tradition involved in the Currituck softball program, the Lady Knights are almost expected to go deep in the playoffs every year. But the 1994 season was different in that the team moved up to 2A ball. Currituck also played with a lineup which included a lot of freshmen and sophomores. Davies said he was proud of the Lady Knights accomplishments despite not repeating as champions.

``I told the girls that if somebody said we would have been in the eastern finals back in February, we would have said `you're crazy,' ''

Davis said. ``It was rough to lose, but it would have been worse if it was 3-2. We just took a country lickin'.''

by CNB