DATE: Monday, June 9, 1997                  TAG: 9706090042

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER 
        CORRESPONDENT    

DATELINE: RALEIGH                           LENGTH:   34 lines

FROM THE BOTTOM TO THE TOP FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY PERQUIMANS COUNTY GIRLS WIN THREE STRAIGHT FOR STATE SOFTBALL CROWN

Perquimans County, the bottom-seeded team in the 1A North Carolina State Slow-pitch Softball Championship Series, pulled off a stunning upset by winning three straight games en route to the state title.

The Lady Pirates (13-5) knocked off Jamesville 17-15 in the championship game Sunday afternoon at the Walnut Creek Softball Complex.

Perquimans beat Jamesville (20-4) 17-8 in the opening round of the tournament on Saturday. The Lady Pirates trailed 8-2 in that game, then came back, forced the game into extra innings, and scored eight runs in the eighth inning.

In the second round, Perquimans dumped Alleghany 5-4 after falling behind 4-0. Alleghany won the state championship the past three years.

Jamesville rebounded from its first-round loss to Perquimans by beating North Moore 11-0 and Alleghany 2-0 to gain the finals.

Currituck County, which reached the 2A-3A-4A slow-pitch championship tournament, bowed out on Saturday. The Lady Knights opened the tournament by knocking off South Lenoir 14-5, then lost to Fred T. Foard 10-5 in the second round.

Currituck (17-5) played South Lenoir again in the third round. The Lady Blue Devils beat Bandys to set up the rematch. In the second game, however, Currituck was not as lucky, as South Lenoir squeaked out a 5-4 victory to send the Lady Knights back to Barco.

Currituck had entered the tournament as the top seed from the Northeastern Conference. The Lady Knights had won the conference four straight years.

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