THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 18, 1995 TAG: 9504180409
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: COURTLAND LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Nansemond River manufactured run after run Monday and rode the strong pitching of Grayson Craun en route to an 8-4 baseball victory over previously unbeaten Southampton to move into a tie for first place in the Bay Rivers District.
Nansemond River (7-3, 4-1) banged out only seven hits but augmented its attack with expertly executed bunts and stolen bases and had Southampton (7-1, 4-1) in trouble in every inning.
``You do anything you have to do to get runs,'' Nansemond River coach Phil Braswell said.
The Warriors chipped away at each of four Southampton pitchers for single runs in the first, second, third, fifth and sixth innings before breaking the game open with a three-run seventh.
Nansemond River centerfielder Donald Turner was the catalyst. The leadoff batter had two hits, scored three times and stole two bases.
The Warriors' aggressive play put pressure on the Southampton defensively, and the Indians - four errors - didn't handle it well.
``We made a few mistakes early, and we let them get to us the whole game,'' Indians first baseman John Rawls said.
Defense wasn't Southampton's only problem. Nansemond River starter Craun cruised through the powerful Indians lineup, allowing just five hits in six-plus innings while striking out 11.
``His breaking ball didn't really do anything today, but he was really able to spot his fastball,'' Braswell said.
The lefthander made only two mistakes through six innings, and the Indians tattooed both of them. Chris Drake jumped on one Craun offering in the first inning and powered it some 360 feet over the right-centerfield fence for a home run. Five innings later, Rawls ripped another shot into the same area with a man aboard.
Otherwise, Craun was in command until the seventh, when the Indians chased him by loading the bases with no outs, then pushing a run across on a Hank Stieh single. But reliever Cody Flowers deftly cleaned up the mess by striking out Brad Davis and retiring William Brown and Drake on fly balls to end the game.
In other games:
Deep Creek 4, Granby 1: Joey Tonetti tripled to drive in a run in the top of the seventh, then scored on an ensuing error to break open a tight game. Tony Moore went the distance, limiting the Comets to three hits.
In girls soccer:
Western Branch 4, N-SA 0: Mimi Knoop and Ciara Lascano each had two goals and an assist and Katie MacPhail posted her fifth shutout of the season as the Bruins downed Nansemond-Suffolk Academy.
Signings: First Colonial's Zac Halm signed a letter-of-intent to run cross country at George Washington University. Halm finished second in the Beach District championships last fall.
Tallwood High graduate Ryan Taylor has signed a letter-of-intent with Barton College, an NAIA school in Wilson, N.C. Taylor, a 5-foot-11 guard, will have three years of eligibility remaining after playing one season at Hagerstown Junior College. by CNB