Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 22, 1995 TAG: 9505230055
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STAFf REPORT
DATELINE: WILMINGTON, DEL. LENGTH: Medium
Salem overcame a 6-0 deficit by scoring eight unanswered runs, including four in the last two innings, to down the Wilmington Blue Rocks 8-6 in a Carolina League baseball game.
The victory snapped a four-game losing streak.
Wilmington (21-22) batted around in the fourth inning to score six runs off Salem starter Jamey Wright and take a 6-0 lead. Anthony Medrano led off the inning with a walk and Carlos Mendez singled to put runners at the corners with no outs. Michael Evans hit a sacrifice fly to score Medrano and give the Blue Rocks a 1-0 lead.
Consecutive singles by Mike Sweeney and Ramy Brooks loaded the bases with one out before Mendez scored on a single by Lino Diaz as Wilmington took a 2-0 lead. Jimmie Byington then singled to score Sweeney, and Brian Teeter's two-run singled plated Diaz and Brooks to give the Blue Rocks a 5-0 lead. With the bases loaded later in the inning, Medrano singled to score Byington with the final run of the inning. Salem (22-22) answered with four runs in the top of the fifth.
After Randy Snyder and Keith Grunewald walked off Wilmington starter Kevin Hodges to start the inning, Chris Sexton singled to load the bases. A wild pitch by Hodges scored Snyder with Salem's first run of the game.
Vincente Garcia walked to load the bases and Brian Culp then grounded out as Grunewald came home with Salem's second run. John Giudice's two-run singled plated Garcia and Sexton as Salem cut the lead to 6-4.
In the eighth, Mark Wells led off with a double off Wilmington reliever Kevin Rawitzer and Snyder singled to put runners on first and third with no outs. That was it for Rawitzer. Grunewald then singled off Phil Grundy to score Wells.
One out later, Garcia hit a sacrifice fly that tied the score at 6-6. Brian Culp's run-scoring single gave Salem a 7-6 lead, its first of the series.
The Avalanche tacked on an insurance run in the ninth when Wells walked with two out off Grundy and scored on Snyder's double.
Grundy (0-1) took the loss in relief for Wilmington, going two innings and giving up two runs on three hits. John Salamon (1-0) got the win after pitching three innings of one-hit relief. Matt Aminoff picked up his second save.
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB