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

DATE: TUESDAY, May 30, 1995                   TAG: 9505310039
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: KINSTON, N.C.                                 LENGTH: Short

SALEM LOSES GAME, GROUND TO KINSTON

The Kinston Indians are doing their best to take the suspense out of the first-half pennant race in the Southern Division of the Carolina League.

The Indians scored two runs in the sixth inning Monday night to take control of a tight game and defeat the Salem Avalanche 5-2 at Granger Stadium.

The victory, Kinston's 18th in its past 20 games, gives the Indians a 6 1/2-game lead over the second-place Avalanche. The setback was Salem's third straight.

Rick Heiserman (5-2) was the winning pitcher, limiting Salem to four hits and striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings. Dan Graves earned his ninth save with 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief.

Salem scored first when Mark Wells hit his team-leading ninth home run of the season in the top of the second inning.

The Indians retaliated quickly when first baseman Richie Sexson belted the first pitch from Matt Pool (4-4) in the bottom of the inning over the left-field wall. Sexson leads the league in batting average (.347), home runs (11) and runs batted in (41).

The Avalanche regained the lead in the third inning when Vincente Garcia doubled home Keith Grunewald.

Heiserman then retired 10 batters in succession until Forry Wells led off the seventh inning with a single.

Kinston tied the score when Enrique Wilson hit his third homer of the season in the fourth inning and went ahead for good with a run in the fifth. The Indians touched Pool for two more runs in the sixth on RBI singles by Bruce Aven and Einer Diaz.

\ see microfilm for box score

Keywords:
BASEBALL

by CNB