
DATE: Friday, May 30, 1997                  TAG: 9705300893

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   61 lines

MENCHVILLE PITCHES TO CUDDYER, PAYS PRICE G. BRIDGE'S STAR SHORTSTOP SINGLES IN THE DECISIVE RUN TO BACK CURTICE'S 1-HITTER.

Menchville played baseball's version of Russian Roulette with Great Bridge's Mike Cuddyer in Thursday's Eastern Region semifinals and lost.

With the score tied and a runner on second base with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Monarchs coach Phil Forbes let lefthander Brandon Creswell pitch to the righthanded Cuddyer rather than issue an intentional walk.

Cuddyer, a shortstop expected to be a first-round pick in Tuesday's major league draft, singled to left to drive in Kevin McNeil with the winning run in a 2-1 victory that vaulted the Wildcats - who got a one-hitter from lefthander John Curtice - into the state tournament.

First, however, Great Bridge (22-2) must play Western Branch tonight at 7 at Old Dominion for the region title. The Bruins (19-5) upset top-ranked First Colonial 4-3 in the second semifinal.

Tonight's winner will host Central Region runner-up Lee-Davis on Tuesday at ODU. The loser will travel to meet Central Region champion Mills Godwin.

Cuddyer fouled Creswell's first pitch sharply by third base. That brought Forbes out to consult with Creswell, who said he wanted to pitch to Cuddyer.

Forbes agreed, but told Creswell not to offer Cuddyer, 0 for 2 with a walk at that point, anything good.

``When the coach came out I thought they were going to put me on,'' said Cuddyer, who scored his team's first run. ``After that I expected Creswell to come after me because I know he's competitive.''

Creswell (11-1), bound for the University of Virginia on scholarship, got ahead one ball and two strikes. Cuddyer fouled off two outside fastballs and then guessed curve.

He got one around his knees and grounded it through the hole.

``All I was thinking then,'' Cuddyer said, ``was run, Kevin, run.''

McNeil, who led off the seventh with a pinch-hit single to right and moved to second on Bradford Tibbs' sacrifice bunt, scored easily.

The run made a winner of Curtice, the Wildcats' other prized prospect who also is expected to go high in the draft.

Curtice (9-0) allowed just the one hit - a two-out, fourth-inning single by Gene Crawford - and struck out 10.

``I felt really good,'' Curtice said.``I wasn't popping the fastball like I usually do, but it was an effective pitch and so was the curve.''

Crawford's hit looked as if it might be enough to beat Great Bridge when he stole second and scored on an error by Cuddyer. Cuddyer came across the second-base bag to field Shawn Hargette's grounder, but had trouble getting the ball out of his glove and threw wildly to first.

That occurred after he struck out with the bases loaded in the third.

``It would have been pitiful if we had lost after that,'' Cuddyer said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

MOTOYA NAKAMURA, The Virginian-Pilot

Kevin McNeil, far right, leaps into his Great Bridge teammates' arms

after scoring the winning run in the seventh inning Thursday against

Menchville in an Eastern Region semifinal at Old Dominion. McNeil

came in from second base on Mike Cuddyer's single to leftfield that

gave the Wildcats a 2-1 victory and a berth in the state tournament.

Great Bridge plays Western Branch tonight for the region title. KEYWORDS: EASTERN REGION BASEBALL PLAYOFF