DATE: Friday, May 30, 1997                  TAG: 9705300895

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY ROBIN BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   52 lines

WESTERN BRANCH UPSETS FIRST COLONIAL LEFTFIELDER DEAFENBAUGH'S DEFENSE HELPS FINISH THE TOP-RANKED PATRIOTS' SEASON.

If reputations are made in big games, then Western Branch's Brad Deafenbaugh is destined to be remembered as a great leftfielder.

Deafenbaugh made a long, running catch to rob First Colonial's Joe Dunlap of a probable three-run triple in the fifth and threw out Dorman Miner at the plate in the seventh to help preserve a 4-3 victory over the top-ranked Patriots in an Eastern Region semifinal Thursday night at Old Dominion University.

The victory completed a semifinal sweep for the Southeastern District. Great Bridge beat Menchville 2-1 in the first game.

Western Branch (19-5) and Great Bridge (22-2) meet tonight at 7 at ODU for the region championship and the right to host a state playoff game Tuesday against Central Region runner-up Lee-Davis. The loser will travel to Richmond to meet Central Region champ Mills Godwin.

Great Bridge has beaten Western Branch three times this season by a combined score of 27-4.

None of that mattered Thursday. The Bruins, consensus underdogs, made the most of six hits and five errors by First Colonial.

Catcher Cory Bauswell delivered the big blows, a leadoff triple in the fourth and a double in a two-run seventh. He scored two runs.

But the difference was defense. Asked if he always flashed such gaudy leather, Deafenbaugh shook his head and said he couldn't remember if he had thrown out another runner this season.

His two plays against the Patriots were decisive. With the score tied at 1 and two outs in the fifth, Dunlap unloaded a tremendous drive to left-center.

``I got a good jump on it,'' Deafenbaugh said. ``Then I didn't think I was going to get there. Somehow I caught it in stride and then tumbled.''

The Bruins took a 2-1 lead in the sixth on Jared Judy's single and added two more runs in the seventh on a bases-loaded hit batsman and and an error by Patriots shortstop Steve Tyler.

But First Colonial hasn't been the most successful area team in the '90s by going down quietly. Jeff Butler led off the bottom of the seventh with a booming double to the leftfield fence and scored on Bruce George's single.

A fielder's choice, a walk and an infield single by Dunlap loaded the bases for Matt Large. He lined a single to left that scored Tim Jones. Patriots coach Norbie Wilson waved home Miner as Deafenbaugh came up throwing.

``I watched them play a few times and thought we could outrun that,'' Wilson said.

The ball was slightly up the first base line, but Bauswell made the catch and dived back to tag out Miner for the second out.

Dunlap took third on the throw but was stranded when James Fticsar retired Steve Buonviri on a fly to center to wrap up a 10-hit, complete-game effort.

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