Winston Lake offers
flag league designed
to teach fundamentals
BYTEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
When it comes to
sports, the month of March
is best known for college
basketball and the start of
baseball spring training,
until now. A select number
of youth are looking to
change that and make
spring football season as
well.
This Saturday, young
athletes from across the
city will officially kick off
the flag football season at
the Winston Lake Family
YMCA.
While there are many
different youth football
programs throughout
Forsyth County, the flag
leagues offered by a num
ber of YMCAs throughout
Winston-Salem and sur
rounding areas are unlike
any other.
According to coordina
tors of the league, although
it retains that competitive
edge that comes with the
sport, the main purpose is
to teach the basic funda
mentals of the game.
With the recent increase
in concussions and head
injuries suffered while
playing contact sports, a
number of parents across
the city and the nation are
thinking twice before let
ting their children play
football.
According to the Center
for Disease Control and
Prevention, each year U.S.
emergency departments
treat an estimated 135,000
children between ages 5 to
18 for sports-related brain
injuries.
Although most of the
head injuries reported were
not severe, repeated con-^
cussions could put a child
at risk for a number of con
ditions such as early onset
dementia, Parkinson's dis
ease, and other neurologi
cal disorders.
When asked about the
flag league compared to
contact leagues in the area,
a number of parents men
tioned the risk of injury
played a big part in decid
ing to go with the no-con
tact league. Ivory Johnson
said the flag league is a
nice alternative for parents
having second thoughts.
"With all these studies /
out on concussions, I told J
myself I wasn't going to let y
my son ever play football,"
Ivory Johnson said. "Now
that I know about this '
league I'm more open to
letting him play."
Johnson also mentioned
the instructions and lessons
they receive from the
coaches and other volun
teers prepare young ath
letes for the future if they
decide to play contact foot
ball for another youth
organization or when they
reach high school.
For more information
on the flag football league,
visit the Winston Lake
Family YMCA located at
901 Waterworks Road, or
by phone at (336) 724
9205. A complete list o
other YMCAs offering th<
league is posted on th<
YMCA of Northwest N.C
official website, ymcan
wnc.org.
Submitted Photo
L runner breaks free from the defense during a regular season game last year.
rhe flag league offered by Winston Lake Family YMCA is designed to teach
'outh the fundamentals of football.
WSSU Men Rams, Chowan
Hawks split twin bill on Saturday
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
ASHEBORO - For the second straight day, Winston
Salem State and Chowan battled to a one game apiece
split, with WSSU taking game one, 6-0, and Chowan win
ning game two, 7-6.
With the split, WSSU moves to 12-13 overall and 2-2
in the CIAA. while Chowan
moves to 8-14 overall, and 2-2 in
the CIA A.
In game one, WSSU jumped
out in front early, as Jason
Baytop was hit by a pitch, and
promptly stole second base,
before being driven in on a
RranHnn Pnwlp.r sinolp tn ranter
field.
The Rams added two runs in the third inning, as
Nathan Steger doubled to left center field, scoring Jason
Baytop and Rashad Webster to give the Rams a 3-0 advan
tage.
Brandon Fowler and Nathan Steger each picked up a
run batted in the fifth inning, as Rashad Webster and
Fowler would each cross home plate to move the Rams to
a 5-0 lead.
Ivan Acuna shut the door in the sixth inning with a
solo home run blast to left field to WSSU the final 6-0
contest.
Devin McLemore picked up the win for WSSU,
throwing a complete game shutout. McLemore went 7.0
innings, allowing just five runs, while striking out a sea
son high 10 batters. (
Nathan Steger led the Rams at the plate, going 2 for 3
with three runs batted in and a double, while Brandon 1
Fowler went 2 for 3 with two runs batted in, two runs 1
scored and a double. Ivan Acuna also finished 2 for 3, with
a home run, one run batted in and one run scored. Michael
McNamara went 1 for 3, and Rashad Webster went 1 for
2 with two runs scored. Jason Baytop scored twice and
had a stolen base.
In game two, the Rams jumped out early on the
Chowan Hawks with a run batted in off the bat of Nathan
Steger, scoring Brandon Fowler to give WSSU the early
1-0 in the first.
Winston-Salem State picked up another run in the sec
ond, when Corey Shelton brought home Ivan Acuna to
give the Rams a 2-0 lead. .
The Hawks plated four runs in the fourth using a
homerun, a wild pitch by the Rams, and a Winston-Salem
State error, to give Chowan their first lead, at 4-2.
Landon Steiner singled to lead off the bottom half of
the fourth, and worked his way around the base paths, and
would score on a Corey Shelton hit, misplayed for an error
by the Hawks second baseman, to pull the Rams to within
one at 4-3.
Chowan kept the pressure on by answering with a run
in the top of the fifth to move ahead, 5-3.
Jason Baytop led off the fifth with a single up the mid
dle, and then advanced to third on Brandon Fowler's sin
gle to right. Nathan Steger singled to left field, scoring
Baytop, to once again pull the Rams to within one, at 5-4.
The Hawks put up another run in the sixth inning, off
)f two hits, to move out in front, 6-4.
The WSSU Rams would explode for two runs in the
jottom of the sixth, beginning the inning with a walk to
Emilio Abreu. Rashad Webster would single to left and
hey both would advance on a wild pitch. Willie McRae
vould ground out, scoring Abreu, and Jason Baytop
vould single scoring Webster to tie the game at 6-6 head
ng into the seventh inning.
But WSSU's Jordan Cummings would hit the first bat
er and after a groundout, a single put runners in prime
.coring position. A sacrifice fly would score the winning
un for Chowan, by putting them up 7-6.
Landon Steiner would single to lead off the bottom of
he seventh, and a pinch runner would be brought in. The
Rams could not get the timely hit, and the run never
threatened to score, and the Chowan Hawks came away
with the 7-6 win.
Jordan Cummings took the loss for the Rams, going
the final 2.2 innings, giving up two runs on three hits, with
three strikeouts. Orlando Cannon got the sUri(-aa?went
3.0 innings, allowing two runs. Tyler Sceafce went 1.1
innings, allowing three runs, on three hits, with three
walks and three strikeouts.
Nathan Steger finished 1 for 4 with two runs batted in,
and Jason Baytop went 2 for 4 with one run batted in,one
un scored and one stolen base. Brandon Fowler went 2
for 3 with a run scored, and a triple and Landon Steiner
and Rashad Webster each finished 2 for 4 with a run
scored. Ivan Acuna went 1 for 3 with a run scored, and
Emilio Abreu also scored a run. Willie McRae picked up
a run batted in.
Rams unite
during game
During the game on March 8, the
Rams united before one of its
next actions in the game.
Winston-Salem State's Brandon
Fowler scored on a wild pitch in
the bottom of the ninth inning to
complete the Rams' comeback, to
give WSSU a 9-8 win over Lock
Haven University at BB&T
Ballpark.
Rams score late to beat West Virginia State women
** ' * " * -? ? ?;? 4.1? -jj i
SRUAL1U
THE CHRONICLE
SALEM, Va. - The
Winston-Salem State Rams
(11-12) completed the
Salem (Va.) Tournament in
dramatic fashion when the
team scored a seventh
inning run to claim a 4-3
win over the West Virginia
State Yellow jackets,
Sunday afternoon. The
Rams took the win behind
a solid effort on both sides
of the ball as they totaled
nine hits in the game and
held the Yellowjackets to
r
i
just three runs on seven
hits.
As a team, the Rams
had one of their top hitting
performances of the sea
son. The Rams totaled nine ,
hits in the game. WSSU t]
freshman right fielder v
Tiarra Delaney led the way v
for the team with a three- ,
for-three effort with a run ,
scored and an RBI. Junior |
first base/pitcher Mercedes .'
Hargett was one-for-three ^
with a home run.
The Rams scattered 1
a
F
4-3
heir scoring output
hroughout the game and
vere able to score the game
dinner in clutch fashion.
Jefensively, the Rams held
he Yellow jackets score
ess for the final four
nnings of the game. After
llowing a pair of first
nning runs, the Rams soon
mswered back with an RBI
CJ'
single irom iresnman
shortstop Jasmine
Holloman that scored
Delaney. The Rams
allowed their last run to the
Yellow jackets in the third
inning and trailed 3-1 head
ing into the fourth inning.
The Rams kicked off their
effort in the fourth inning
when a Hargett solo home
run was followed by a
Delaney RBI single that
scored sophomore pinch
runner Anna Marino that
tied the game 3-3. It was in
uie sevenui inning uuu uic
Rams scored the game
winning run when fresh
man Taonya Stanely hit an
RBI double that scored
Holloman and put the
Rams on top, 4-3. From
there, the WSSU defense
held the Yellow jackets
scoreless in the seventh
inning to seal the victory.
WSSU junior Mercedes
Hargett (7-6) took the
pitching win, going 4.0
innings with no runs
allowed on four hits. She
*
oi5U auucu uiicc suuicuuia
with just two walks. Junior
Katherine Zimmer got the
pitching start, going 3.0
innings with four runs
allowed (three earned). She
recorded four strikeouts
with one walk.
With the win, the Rams
improve to 11-12 overall.
For more information
on Rams softbalL, contact
the WSSU Office of
Athletic Media Relations at
(33A) 750-2143 or log on to
www.WSSURams.com.
r