East captures ninth in a row

By Ted Allen

Published: July 3, 2008

NEWPORT NEWS — Liberty High senior second baseman Kendall Bartholomew got acclimated to athletic life at Christopher Newport University, where she may try out for the softball team next spring, in Thursday’s Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Star game at Captain’s Field.

Playing in a reserve role on the East squad with Minettes teammate Brooke Davis, a late addition to the team, Bartholomew got in for four innings of error-free defense at second and drove in the third run in a four-run eighth that broke open a 2-1 game.

The East All-Stars extended their winning streak over the West to nine games with a 6-1 victory.

“I was pretty nervous (but) it was pretty exciting,” said Bartholomew, whose swinging bunt spun back and landed right in front of the plate, where the catcher had no play after waiting for it to roll foul.

“It was supposed to go farther, but it was a hit, so that’s what counts. I didn’t realize I got an RBI until I came back in (the dugout).”

Gretna’s Teresa Dalton, who will play at Randolph College next year, didn’t get an opportunity to pitch on an East squad loaded with top-notch hurlers.

Three of the pitchers she beat in leading the Hawks to their first Group A state title did take the rubber – Middlesex’s Janie Holmes and Glenvar’s Meredith Buckley for the East and James River’s Abbie Rexrode for the West.

But Dalton was happy just to get in the game, playing at third from the fourth through the seventh innings and looking comfortable on the hot corner.

“I’ve played it in the past, but this year I pitched the whole time so I really didn’t have that much practice at third,” Dalton said.

She didn’t get much practice in the All-Star game, either, with no balls hit her way. In her only two at-bats, she faced Virginia Tech recruit Rexrode twice, striking out on an inside offering in the seventh after grounding a comebacker between Rexrode’s legs that turned into an inning-ending double play with runners on the corners in the fifth.

“The girl (on first) was stealing so the (shortstop) was already breaking to second, so she got the ball and the double play,” Dalton said. “If the girl wouldn’t have been stealing, I’d have gotten an RBI (single).”

Dalton got to room with Chatham outfielder Kelly Montgomery, whose sister Sarah plays at Randolph College and cheered them both on Thursday. I

n what started out as a pitchers’ duel, Kelly had the game’s only extra-base hit, a double to right center in the fifth.

Sarah is looking forward to Dalton’s arrival in the WildCats’ dugout, and is certain she will pitch more than her share of innings as a freshman.

“Last year, we really didn’t have a true pitcher,” she said, noting she even was thrown in to pitch at times. “We were really trying to recruit one (and) I think (Teresa will) do very, very well in the ODAC.”

“She’ll walk in as their No. 1 pitcher and help coach (RC coach Jennifer) Steele rebuild the program,” added Gretna coach Ketina Brooks.