THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 8, 1995 TAG: 9506080585
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Trailing, 1-0, in the fourth inning with two outs and Mills Godwin runners on second and third, Salem coach Larry Bowman uttered what turned out to be prophetic words.
``This is a big out, really big,'' he said as Wendy Fullan stepped to the plate.
Fullan blasted a two-run triple over leftfielder Michelle Coates' head to guide the Central Region champions to a 3-0 lead and an eventual 4-0 victory over the Sun Devils in a Group AAA softball quarterfinal game Wednesday at Mills Godwin.
``We get the out and it's 1-0 and we're very much in the game,'' Bowman said. ``That was a very big hit.''
Mills Godwin advances to a semifinal matchup Friday with Monacan, an 8-1 winner over Booker T. Washington.
Mills Godwin defeated Monacan, 13-3, in the Central Region final.
Against Salem (20-4), the Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth when designated hitter J.C. Cole reached on a double to left-center, took third on a wild pitch and scored by beating second baseman Dana Hierholzer's throw home on Beth Pedigo's grounder.
Two outs later, Stacy Smith reached on a throwing error by third baseman Katie Moyer, and Katie Wallace reached on a fielder's choice. That set up Fullan's big hit.
``I was just trying not to think about the situation,'' Fullan said. ``When I think about those things, I just get too nervous. I just wanted to do my job.
``I guess as the No. 9 hitter, I kind of fooled them (with my power).''
Mills Godwin (22-2) manufactured a run in the sixth when Smith beat out a bunt. She took second on a sacrifice bunt by Wallace, moved to third on a base hit up the middle by Fullan and scored when Moyer's throw pulled first baseman Kelly King off the bag.
Salem threatened in the second inning, with Hierholzer reaching third and Coates getting to second with only one out. But pitcher Kelly Silver, who finished with a two-hitter, retired Misty Colebank and King to end the threat.
The Sun Devils advanced Michelle Pritchard into scoring position with one out in the top of the sixth but failed to get her in.
``We've won on defense and pitching all year,'' Bowman said. ``But we made some mistakes and (Mills Godwin) got a few big hits.
``Godwin also made some big plays, and you have to give them credit. Their catcher threw out three of our runners stealing second.'' by CNB