Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 18, 1995 TAG: 9504180152
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Barry Goldman, the right-handed Salem Avalanche closer, was on the mound, one strike away from preserving a one-run victory over the Kinston Indians on Monday night in a Carolina League game at Municipal Field. Pinch-runner Gary Hagy was at third base, but Goldman looked as though he had matters well in hand after breaking off a curve for the second strike on batter Todd Betts the pitch before.
As it turned out, Betts was not the right guy for a quiet crowd of 1,750 to be giving up on so quickly.
Betts turned Goldman's next offering around for a run-scoring single that sent the game into extra innings. The Indians won it an inning later, again victimizing Goldman, this time for two runs that were the difference in a 6-4 victory.
It was Kinston's first triumph against Salem in four attempts this year.
As for Betts, the evening was an eventful one. The third baseman went 4-for-4 with a walk and a double. The last of the hits made the other three much more enjoyable for him.
``I was just looking to focus in on the ball,'' he said of his last at-bat. ``The umpire [Jerry Lloyd] had made a bad call on the second strike, I thought. The guy threw me a curve and I had a feeling that he was going to throw me another one.
``It broke inside and I had to fight it off, but I got it. It was a good at-bat for me.''
Salem came back in its half of the inning with a threat, Mike Higgins reaching on a leadoff double. Mark Wells was walked intentionally two outs later to bring up John Giudice, the No.3 batter in the order. That steel-nerved move paid off when reliever Roland DeLaMaza struck him out.
``We gave ourselves a chance to win,'' said Bill Hayes, Salem's manager.
But it didn't happen because the Indians bounced back in the top of the 10th. With James Betzsold aboard on a fielder's choice and Mitch Meluskey on with a single, Goldman wild-pitched both up a base with one out.
Bruce Aven followed with a two-run single. It, too, came with two strikes.
``I've been in a slump and I was just trying to protect both sides of the plate,'' said Aven, who started the evening batting .152 and had gone 1-for-4 to that point in the game. ``I was just trying to put the ball in play because, with one out, I didn't have to have a hit to score a run.''
Goldman prevented further damage by fanning Hagy and Rick Prieto to end the inning, but Salem (6-5) couldn't capitalize in its half of the 10th. Forry Wells' one-out single was all the Avalanche could manage.
``The key to anything is scoring late in the game,'' Hayes said. ``We've been doing that, but tonight we didn't and they did.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB