Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 14, 1995 TAG: 9505150112
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The left fielder, batting third in the Salem lineup, extended a rampage featuring hits in 10 of his past 11 games as the Avalanche came from behind to beat the Wilmington Blue Rocks 7-4 on Saturday night with 1,646 in attendance at Municipal Field.
Included among the miseries Culp inflicted on the invaders from Delaware was a two-out, two-run homer and a two-out, run-scoring single. In all, he went 3-for-5 and is 18 for his past 45 (.400) with four homers in his past four games. The hot streak has included five homers and 13 RBI.
With a bat like that, Culp can afford to be gracious.
``I thought the whole team did well tonight,'' he said. The Blue Rocks ``have the best pitching staff we've seen.''
If so, then the Salem hitters must have been walking a little taller after spraying 12 hits, including two home runs (Nate Holdren had the other, a solo job to lead off the eighth).
Vincente Garcia menaced Wilmington pitching as Culp did. Garcia, who operates out of the No.2 spot in the order, went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and two runs scored. Garcia reached base in all five plate appearances.
``Both Culp and Garcia clutched up for us tonight,'' said Salem coach Tony Torchia.
Garcia shoved his batting average to .292 (29-for-99).
``I'm doing everything good now,'' Garcia said. ``I'm holding my hands good, I'm taking a good approach.''
In the eighth, with the Avalanche leading by three runs and Salem runners at second and third with one out, Wilmington manager John Mizerock opted to walk Garcia in order to pitch to Culp.
``Just playing the percentages and hoping for the double play,'' Culp said. ``I would have done the same thing.''
Culp worked into the plan by popping up to the second baseman. However, Salem pitcher Jeff Sobkoviak rendered that irrelevant by hurling a scoreless ninth - his second shutout inning - to earn his first save of the year.
Starter Matt Pool, a lean right-hander making his team-leading eighth start, gave Salem seven solid innings. Pool scattered seven hits and faltered infrequently. The exceptions came in the first and fifth, when Michael Evans and Mike Sweeney swatted errant change-ups over the wall for home runs. Evans' drive came with two out.
``At this level, when you hang [pitches] up there like that, they're going to get hurt,'' Pool said.
EXTRA BASES: The Avalanche sends right-hander Doug Walls (2-1, 4.01 ERA) to the mound against Blue Rocks right-hander Ken Ray (1-0, 1.50) in today's 3 p.m. series finale.
\ see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB