
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, June 22, 1990                   TAG: 9006210279
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV12   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: JEFF MOTLEY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Medium

UNITED'S LONG BATS BEAT LONG JOHN, 43-9

The old days had Ruth and Gehrig and Mantle and Maris. Now there are Clark and Mitchell and Canseco and McGwire. They have hung up some big numbers, but they haven't done anything compared to what David Alderman and David Bishop did last week in a softball game at Loving Field.

Alderman tied a league record by blasting five home runs in a game, and teammate Bishop hit four homers and drove in 13 runs to lead United Muffler to a 43-9 victory over Long John Silver's.

Bishop, who bats third in the order, was the big reason that Alderman was limited to just seven RBI.

"It seemed that every time he came to bat there were two or three guys on," Alderman said. "So all I could do was hit solo home runs."

The two sluggers are tied for the league lead in homers with 10 each through 11 games, and Alderman leads the league with an .884 (38 for 43) batting average. The record is .774 set by Bobby Lorton last year.

The only other player in league history to have a five-homer game is Don Martin in 1978. When Martin hit his five, the fences were only 265 feet from home plate; Alderman belted his over a 280-foot fence.

For the game, Alderman also had a single to give him a 6-for-6 night.

"It would be really hard to top it," Alderman said. "That is the best night we've ever had together. He is pretty consistent, but I am really streaky. I might hit about nine home runs one week and then go a couple of weeks where I don't hit any."

Bishop tied the record for RBI in a game, and together the two players tied the record for most home runs by two players in a game. The night Martin hit his five in 1978, a teammate hit four.

\ The town of Pulaski also is planning several softball tournaments.

On June 30, an eight-team, first-come round-robin tournament will be played at Loving Field.

July 7 and 8 will be the National Softball Association's state regional tournament for Class C and Class D. The Class C will have a five home-run limit and the Class D a two-homer limit. These rules are more liberal than national rules, which permit only one homer in Class C and no homers in Class D.

The winners of these two classes will receive automatic bids to the World Series. The Class C tournament is in Atlanta and the Class D is in Charlotte, N.C.

From Aug. 10-12, Pulaski will be the site of the Class D state tournament. The Class C tournament will be held in Salem.

by CNB