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By ALEX LYNCH
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 15, 2000
GULFPORT -- Power-hitting West Virginia cruised past South Carolina 9-3 on Monday to earn the right to meet Texas in tonight's Southern Regional championship game with the winner moving on to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa.
The team from Barboursville, W.Va., placed itself as today's favorite and among the elite teams in Southern Regional history by breaking one home run record and tying three others Monday night.
Alex Whitt hit six home runs during the tournament to break the old record of five while his teammate, Mason Chapman, tied the old mark.
Also in the win over South Carolina, three other records were tied by West Virginia after it hit five home runs in one game and after Chapman and Whitt each hit a pair of homers, becoming only the second and third players to hit two home runs in one game. However, the fact that these two teams will meet in tonight's final is where the comparisons end.
West Virginia has hit 16 home runs in the Southern Regionals after traveling through the loser's bracket following a disappointing 7-0 loss to Florida in the second round.
Conversely, undefeated Texas is known as a contact-hitting team with one home run over the four-game stretch. Since West Virginia has three legitimate home run hitters in Whitt, Chapman and Aaron Radcliff (who had a grand slam Saturday) along with two hard-throwing starters in Whitt and Radcliff, it's the favorite to advance.
"Our guys are not intimidated. We saw guys that big in the (Texas) state tournament that throw as hard as them." Texas manager Terry McConn said.
"It's the pitch, not the package' is what all of our kids say," added batting coach Cliff Atherton.
The Texas team is no stranger to the underdog role.
"Every tournament we have been to everyone kept telling us we didn't have a chance," McConn said. "Now, West Virginia is making hotel reservations in Williamsport."
West Virginia is poised to make its first appearance in the Little League World Series since 1951.
"We're ready," manager Ron Keaton said. "We're on a five-game winning streak and I got my two pitchers on the mound. It ought to be a good game."
Texas last went to the World Series in 1995 when it lost in the final to Taiwan 17-3, but don't count the team out.
"Whenever the kids get down, there are two things that we have told them: "We believe' and "this is our year.' This is the year for Bellaire Little League and that has become our slogan," Atherton said.
The game will be televised live on ESPN2 at 8 p.m.
Jack Edwards will be the play-by-play commentator and Harold Reynolds will be the analyst. Admission is free.