THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 18, 1996 TAG: 9608190089
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: 72 lines
Coos Bay, Ore., shortstop Rusty Keith broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the ninth inning when he scored on a wild throw to give his team a 1-0 victory over host team Dare County on Saturday night to end the first day of the Babe Ruth World Series.
An overflow crowd of 5,200 watched the extra-inning game.
Coos Bay advances to face Iron Area, N.J., at 4:30 p.m. today, and Dare County will face Nederland, Texas, in a losers bracket game at 7 p.m. In other Saturday games, Alacosta, Calif., defeated Nederland 5-1. In the second game, Hammond, Ind., beat Omaha, Neb., 1-0 in eight innings.
The day began with a 25-unit parade through downtown Manteo, featuring the nine competing teams. Crowds along the streets greeted each team warmly as they passed in red British-style beach buses.
Players waved and smiled as they passed. Immediately in front of the Manteo High School Band, the team from Nashville, Tenn., joined the band in an impromptu chorus of ``Rocky Top.''
Dignitaries, including parade Grand Marshal Julia Ruth Stevens and former American League President Bobby Brown, rode in classic sports cars past the cheering crowd.
Stevens, the 79-year-old daughter of baseball legend Babe Ruth, later tossed the ceremonial first pitch to Alacosta Tri-Valley catcher Chris Patrick. The pitch caught the inside corner for a strike.
Later, at the tournament's opening ceremonies, North Carolina Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. said the 1996 Babe Ruth Tournament would be ``the best World Series ever.''
``This is one of the great sporting events in North Carolina,'' Hunt said. ``North Carolina is a great baseball state. And this is a great tribute to Dare County. We've had NCAA championships, and great events at the university and professional level. But I believe this will be one of the signal sporting events of the year.''
Hunt flew to the Outer Banks on Saturday morning, after completing an 11-stop tour of the state on Friday.
Dare third baseman Ken Simmons - a standout at Currituck County High - made a perfect throw to the plate after getting a solid relay from Joseph Brantley to get a sliding Jeremy Frietas.
Frietas, who drew a two-out walk, tried to score on a sharp liner by John Richards.
The Albemarle team also squeaked by in the sixth. With two outs, Steve Hutchinson walked. Rusty Keith then lined to center. Outfielder Brian Willoughby threw high to third, and Hutchinson turned for home. Third baseman Simmons - who was backing up on the throw - threw perfectly to catcher Gerald Crawford. Crawford blocked the plate to nail Hutchinson.
Sparkling pitching dominated the first five innings of Saturday's finale. Dare County's Foye Minton of Wanchese began by retiring the first seven hitters he faced. He struck out eight in the first five frames, allowing only three hits and no runs.
Minton worked his way out of a jam in the third. With one out, Coos Bay pitcher Derek Wells and pinch-hitter Steve Reed stroked back-to-back base hits.
The runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch to Jeremy Sampson. Sampson thought he was hit by a pitch and went to first. But home plate umpire Ron Cefalone ruled Sampson was not hit. Minton responded by fanning Sampson. Minton then forced Russ Hayes to ground out to end the inning.
Wells was equally impressive in the third. With two outs, Simmons drew a walk, and Joe Brantley singled, later taking second. But Wells managed to strike out Brock Nixon to end the Albemarle challenge. ILLUSTRATION: DREW C. WILSON color photos/The Virginian-Pilot
PLAYERS from around the country participating in the Babe Ruth 16-18
World Series parade around the infield at Coy Tillett Sr. Memorial
Field in Manteo on Saturday before the opening game.
Julia Ruth Stevens, Babe Ruth's daughter, throws the first pitch at
the opening day ceremony. by CNB