THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 9, 1995 TAG: 9504060184
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
There are some things that are the same year after year. The quality of the girls softball program at Currituck County High School is one of those things.
Every year in the '90s the team has either gone deep into the state playoffs, played for the state championship, or won the state championship. Every year, seniors from those quality teams graduate. And the next year it seems like the team is loaded again. The 1994 season is another one of those years.
Head coach Tom Davies had some questions about the team before the season began, particularly at pitcher where Cyndi Wright, one of the best hurlers in the area, graduated.
So far, those question marks have been erased. The Lady Knights jumped out to a 7-0 start, including a 26-6 win over Northeastern last week. And Northeastern is not any pushover - the Lady Eagles trounced Hertford County 41-1 earlier this season. Currituck pounded out 28 hits in the win over Northeastern.
Davies said the Lady Knights will outscore a lot of teams this year.
``They came out and really hit the ball today,'' he said. ``This could be the best hitting team Currituck ever had.''
Leading the hitting attack was Alisha Banks who was 3-for-4 with six RBI and four runs scored. Banks also displayed another aspect of Currituck's game this year - team speed. She stretched two hits for extra bases by taking chances on the basepaths.
``She's an athlete,'' Davies said. ``She forces teams to misplay the ball. Speed is such an asset in softball. It puts a defense under a lot of pressure.''
Knowing the Lady Knights can score runs, Davies said the key for the rest of the season is the pitching and fielding. Sophomore LaTia Banks, who pitched two innings last year, upped her record to 7-0 with the win over Northeastern.
Other youngsters who have shined so far include sophomore first baseman Charlene Hagen who was hitting over .700 and has played well defensively; Casey Rose, a sophomore starting in right field; sophomore third baseman Kelly Lupton who has supplied power; sophomore Michelle Porr, who has made a successful move from third base to second base; and junior shortstop Renee Porr, who bats leadoff, supplies a lot of speed, and has a high on base percentage.
Davies said that senior Cindy Cline has also come through in the clutch. In danger of losing a game to Gates County, Cline started a seventh-inning rally with a leadoff triple.
Davies said he cannot compare this year's team with last year's team that went several rounds deep in the playoffs.
``Last year we had four seniors who were four-year starters,'' he said. ``It's a different team. Last year we had excellent defense and good hitting but we were slow. This year we have overall team speed.''
Maybe some things do change in Currituck. by CNB