Thursday, June 15,  2006

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    Honaker battled back against eventual state champion James River in the Group A State Softball Quarterfinals, but came up a run short, dropping a 4-3 heartbreaker last Tuesday (June 6) at Honaker.
  Trailing 4-1 going to the bottom of the seventh inning there was definitely no quit in the Lady Tigers. They sent eight batters to the plate, scored two runs and had the bases loaded when James River ace Abbie Rexrode induced a pop-up to end the game.
  “The seventh inning is what I’ve came to expect from these girls,” Honaker Coach Donovan Helton said. “We’ve been down several times this year but they keep fighting back.”
  In the seventh, freshman Paige Tiller started the inning with a sharp liner over the rightfielder’s head for a triple. Raeanne Slate then hit the gap with a double to left-center to score Tiller.
  Brittany Croson followed with an infield single to put runners at first and third. Croson was thrown out trying to steal second but courtesy runner Tabitha Hart scored on the play to make it a one run game.
  Katie Howard walked and after a strikeout, Cynthia Stevens followed with a single. An infield single by Lakin Maxfield loaded the bases before the pop-up ended the game.
  “Honaker swings the bats well, better than anyone we’ve played this year,” James River Coach John Shotwell said. “I knew if they beat Gate City they had a good club.
  “We’ve been playing a lot better defensively and that was the difference. We knew at this level we were not going to get as many strikeouts as we had been getting.”

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now.  For more information on how to subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today.

Emory & Henry College Plans to Host Two Girls Basketball Camps in July

     The Emory & Henry College women’s basketball program will host in July two women’s basketball camps that have become a popular draw for young female athletes from throughout southwest Virginia and east Tennessee.
  The first camp, which will be held July 10-12, is designed for girls entering grades 4-11. The camp focuses on individual offensive and defensive fundamentals. Camp begins with registration at 9:30 a.m. on Monday. Campers may stay overnight or commute.
  The second camp, to be held July 14, is for the skilled high school varsity, junior varsity or eighth grade team player. The camp focuses on position play, shooting and advanced fundamentals. Post and perimeter players entering grades 7-12 will have the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to compete at a higher level. The camp begins with registration at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m.
  “Both camps offer excellent individualized instruction to help players improve the fundamental skills necessary to be solid players,” said E&H head women’s basketball Coach Joy Scruggs.
  Scruggs, who is director of the basketball camps, has completed 25 successful seasons coaching for the E&H women’s program. She was named the 2003 Coach of the Year by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, recognizing her leadership of a team that has been among the top teams in Division III women’s basketball
  Scruggs will be assisted by current and former E&H women’s basketball players. The camps’ personal and individualized instruction takes place in the King Athletic Center.
  Campers are encouraged to pre-register, but spaces will be available for those who register the first day of the camp at the King Athletic Center on the E&H campus.
  For more information or to register, contact Coach Scruggs at 276-944-6238.

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now.  For more information on how to subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today.

    Zebra Mussels were brought to this country from Eastern Europe, not by sportsmen, but on commercial ships. They are now found in at least 22 states, including Virginia.
   Zebra mussels can damage hulls and motors of boats and they can also clog water intake systems for power plants and water treatment plants. Zebra mussels can remove microscopic organisms that make up the food base for many native fish and other aquatic life, causing the native species to die.  
   The potential devastation by zebra mussels can be so widespread that we may all be touched by the damage these little creatures cause. So far, they have been found only in a place or two in Virginia (and only in the eastern part of the state, at that). But, that could change at a moment's notice. Anyone thinking that they have found a zebra mussel should report it to a representative of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) immediately.

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now.  For more information on how to subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today.