Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 1, 1995 TAG: 9505010081
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK BULLOCK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
When you have a limited role, you have to take advantage of your opportunities.
Reserve second baseman Steve Bernhardt made the most of his chance Sunday as the Salem Avalanche defeated Frederick 6-4 in Carolina League baseball at Municipal Field.
Bernhardt, a 1992 graduate of the University of Richmond, broke a tie with a solo home run in the seventh inning as the Avalanche swept the three-game series. He had two hits, scored twice and helped turn two double plays as Salem improved a modest win streak to three games.
Salem overcame a four-run deficit on the strength of a three-run homer by left fielder Mark Wells and a solo shot by center fielder Edgard Velasquez, before Bernhardt put the Avalanche ahead to stay with a homer high over the scoreboard in left-center field.
``I was just trying to hit it hard somewhere,'' Bernhardt said. ``To contribute and help the team win made it even better.''
Frederick had taken its lead by solving Salem starter Keith Barnes in the fifth inning. The Keys opened the inning with two hits and a hit batsman to load the bases. David Lamb's single to left brought in two runs, Jim Foster drove in a run with a single, and the fourth run scored on a double-play grounder.
To that point, Barnes and Keys starter Calvin Meduro (0-1) were in control. Frederick loaded the bases in the second inning on a walk and two hits, but Barnes induced a grounder that Salem turned into an inning-ending double play. Meduro had surrendered lone hits in the second, third and fourth innings to Forry Wells, Mike Higgins and Nate Holdren.
After Frederick's uprising in the top of the fifth, Salem retaliated when Bernhardt singled, shortstop Chris Sexton coaxed a walk and Mark Wells homered to left-center. It was his league-leading sixth home run and team-leading 17th run batted in.
``I just wanted to put the ball in play,'' he said.
Velasquez hit his fourth homer of the season in the next inning to tie the score, leaving it to Salem reliever Scott Larock to hold the Keys in check.
Larock was up to the task, yielding only a two-out hit in the top of the ninth and striking out five in three innings to pick up his second victory of the season.
``I was working ahead of the hitters,'' Larock said. ``That's the first step at getting them out.''
Larock's only glitch was walking the leadoff hitter in the eighth inning after getting ahead 0-2 in the count, but after a short chat with manager Bill Hayes, the right-hander got Keys right fielder Wes Hawkins to hit into a double play and struck out Matt Riemer looking to end the inning without any damage.
``He told me, `Don't try to nibble. Don't pitch scared,''' Larock said of the urgings of his manager. Having gotten the message, Larock struck out two in the ninth inning to give Salem its first series sweep at home this season.
``It was good to see us come from behind and get a win,'' Hayes said. ``Bernhardt did a good job for us and hit a clutch home run. Larock made some pitches when he had to. He had a guy 0-2 in a one-run game and walked him, but other than that he did a good job.''
EXTRA BASES: Salem first baseman Holdren had two hits Sunday, giving him five in his past two games. Holdren hit an apparent double to the wall in the sixth inning, but plate umpire Dan Iassogna ruled the ball had been caught by Keys center fielder Trovin Valdez, even though it appeared the ball hit the ground and the wall before Valdez snagged it. ... Salem pitcher Doug Million will miss his scheduled start tonight because of a sore left shoulder. Results of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination will determine how long Million will be sidelined. Mike Saipe (1-2, 4.00 ERA) will start instead and goes against Maurice Christmas (2-1, 5.01) as Durham visits for the next four days. ... Bernhardt has seen limited duty after spending two weeks on the disabled list and backing up starter Vincente Garcia at second base. ... Clint Hurdle, the Colorado Rockies' roving hitting instructor, is spending a few days working with Avalanche batters.
see microfilm for box score
by CNB