THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, July 11, 1996 TAG: 9607110563
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: 45 lines
Like brother, like brother.
Nansemond River pitcher Grayson Craun captured the East MVP award two years after brother Brett picked up the same award in the Virginia High School Coaches Association all-star baseball game Wednesday at War Memorial Stadium.
The West made three early scratch runs stand up for a 3-1 victory, its fifth in the last six meetings. Abingdon centerfielder Brad Hankey, who went 2 for 3 with a run scored and five putouts made, was the West MVP.
Grayson Craun, a southpaw who had a 20-1 career record for the Warriors, retired all six batters he faced Thursday and had the East's hardest hit of the night, a line single up the middle in the fourth. He also walked in his only other plate appearance and made Nansemond River coach Phil Braswell proud by sprinting to first as ball four squirted away from the West catcher.
``Look at the Nansemond River hustle!'' Braswell roared.
Brett Craun, a rising senior at William and Mary, drove in two runs and struck out the side in the ninth during his MVP performance in the 1994 all-star game.
``Brett couldn't make it tonight, but before I left, he told me, `` `Go get the MVP award,' '' Grayson said. ``I laughed. It's ironic, the way things turned out.''
Craun's only disappointment was in not getting to face Virginia High's Israel Pope, the winning pitcher against the Warriors in the Group AA state championship game.
``I was kind of hoping he'd hit when I pitched, or I'd hit when he pitched, but it didn't work out that way,'' Craun said.
Little else failed to go Craun's way, though. The East already had its 3-1 lead when Craun came on to start the fifth. He needed only two pitches to retire Abingdon's Michael Bailey on a grounder to first. Cave Spring's Doug Kenny tapped out to shortstop on the second pitch he saw, and Craun finished the frame by getting Giles' Josh Stephens to wave at a biting slider.
``He's pumped up,'' Nansemond River catcher Lee Parks said from the stands.
Craun, who added a 1-2-3 sixth before finishing the game in leftfield, was pleased with his outing since it came after some rough stints in American Legion play.
``I'm just pleased I was able to keep it low in the zone,'' Craun said. ``I knew if I got it up, these guys would take advantage.''
First Colonial's Ryan Dunbar caught for Craun. Cox shortstop Tim Lavigne and Windsor infielder Jerome Ricks were the East's other area performers. by CNB