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Kings Mountain’s IS
IS year old girls softball
all-stars, heretofore a
slowpltch team, took a
quick lesson In how to
^y fastpltch softball
last week and won the
Dixie Youth State
Tournament at Tabor
aty.
Ihe local team, which
finished fifth In the State
ASA Tournament a
week earlier in Dur
ham, went to Tabor City
thinking it would be
playing in another slow
pltch event.
“Our girls nad never
before played fast-
pitch,” noted Coach
Candy Alberglne. “We
had to make adjust
ments In our hitting and
had to learn how to steal
bases, and we could only
I^y three outfielders
Instead of four.”
Alberglne also had to
come up with another
pitcher, as Dixie Youth
rules only allow a pit
cher to pitch 14 Innings
In a tournament.
Lisa Hampton had
served as the team’s
pitcher all season In
slowpltch action, and
she hiu-led the team’s
opening round victory
over Pender County on
’Thursday night, 18-13.
Hampton hurled
again In Saturday’s sec
ond round, against Pen
der County again, and
she lost that game 7-6.
In the championship
game, still against Pen
der County, Alberglne
converted Susan Howze
Into a pitcher and she
responded with an elght-
hltter to nail down die
title, 16-6.
“Our defense was the
key to our victories,”
noted Alberglne. “We’ll
be woriilng very hard
, this week so we can
{properly represent
I Kings Mountain and
North Carolina In the
Wnid Series beginning
Monday In WhitevlUe.”
’Die state champions
from Alabama, Florida,
Louisiana, Mississippi,
Texas and Virginia will
Join Kings Mountain In
the World Series.
Hampton outdueled
Pender County’s Sara
Jones for ’Thursday’s
opoilng round win and
Diane Williams hit the |
fastpltch for base hits
each of her four trips to .
the plate to lead the |
offense. Howze and I
Bridget Glass were 8-
for-4 each.
After Friday’s round
was rained out, Pender |
County came back on j
Saturday to halt KM 7-6 I
and force a second title |
game. {
Ann Padgett picked
up the win for PC.
Howze was 4-for-4 and
Hampton and Mary
Ann White each 8 - for-4
to lead KM at the plate.
KM actually tied the
game In the bottom of
the seventh at 7-all on
plnch-hltter Judy
Whlsnant’s single which
scored Hampton. But
Whlsnant was ruled out
because she did not
report to the official
scorer before taking her
turn at bat.
KM came back In the
second title game and
completely outclassed
the Pender County crew
behind the pitching of
Howze and the hitting of
Howze, Penny Blanton
and Renee Cook, who
had two hits apiece.
Batting averages for
the tournament In
cluded Howze .760, Cook
.667, Hampton .667,
Diane Williams .688,
Penny Blanton .646,
Glass .646, Ginger
Martin, .400, White .886,
Donna Myers .381,
Trudy Whlsnant .300
and Kim Gladden .000.
’Ihe victories at Tabor
City gave Kings Moun
tain Its second state
championship In as
many weeks. ’The 18-16
year old boys sdl-stars
won the State ASA
Tournament In Hen-
derscnvlUe, sweq|>lng
the double elimination
tournament without a
STA’TB CHAMPIONS - The 18-16 year old
Kings Mountain girls softball all-star team copped
the Dixie Youth State Tournament title over the
weekend at Tabor City. Team members Include,
standing, left to right, Mary Ann White, Mickey
James, Renee Cook, Leslie Hamrick, Ginger
Martin, Toni Ross, and Lisa Hampton. Kneeling,
Bridget Glass, ’Trudy Whlsnant, Kim Gladden,
Judy Whlsnant, Dana Horn, Susan Howze and
Dcnna Myers. Not pictured, Diane Williams,
Penny Blanton and Leslie Sherer.
The iMys^wiN^ be
representing the city
and state In the ASA
World Series August 13-
14 In York. Pa. Coach
Darrell Van Dyke said
the team Is In need of
financial assistance and
any businesses or In
dividuals Interested In
donating may contact
Van Dyke at the com
munity center (789-
8649).
Young Gridders
Begin Practice
The Kings Mountain
pee wee. Junior midget
and midget football
teams have begun prac
tice and will be woriclng
out each night from 7-9
p. m. at City Stadium.
- Cheeriead^
Registration
. k Saturday
All girls ages 10-13
interested In trying out
for a spot on the Kings
Mountain youth football
cheerieadlng squad are
‘ urged to register
Si^uday at the com
munity center gym.
Registration will be
, held from 9 a. m. until
noon and from 1 p. m.
until 3 p. m.
The girls chosen will
cheer for the three
you^ teams this tall
which will be playing In
the Gaston League
V under the sponsorship of
; the Optimist Club and
I the recreation depart
ment
Tammy Blanton and
° Donna Sutherland will
. aerve as cheerleader
( coaches.
Any youngsters ages
10 through 18 may come
out for any of the teams
by reporting for prac
tice and seeing either
Charles Burns or
Jimmy Littlejohn.
Kings Mountain will
definitely sponsor three
teams In the Gaston
League, and there’s a
strong possibility the
city will also field a
team In the Cleveland
County League.
Any persons currently
Involved In baseball or
softball playoffs will be
eligible to come out for
football at the con
clusion of their season.
Kings Mountain Is
coming off a banner
season and should be
contenders In all divi
sions. The Junior
midgets won their divi
sion championship last
fall ahd the midgets
finlahed second. Most of
last year's Junior
midgets wlU move up to
the midget ranks this
year, making that team
even stranger.
The KM teams are
Jointly sponsored by the
Optimist Club and the
city recreation depart
ment.