ROANOKE TIMES

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

DATE: SATURDAY, July 1, 1995                   TAG: 9507030142
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DIONNE REYNOLDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


WRIGHT, SALEM `STRUGGLE' TO WIN OVER WARTHOGS

Jamey Wright felt like he struggled Friday afternoon.

Still, Winston-Salem managed just one run off the Salem starting pitcher and two relievers as the Avalanche won 2-1 in a Carolina League game at Municipal Field.

Salem split a four-game series with the Warthogs and improved to 7-3 in the second half. The Avalanche will not play at home again until July 12.

Wright, the Avalanche staff ace, struck out eight batters in 6 2/3 innings. He also walked five and allowed six hits.

Winston-Salem scored in the first inning when Ray Brown's double plated Donald Broach. The Warthogs had plenty of chances after that but could not score.

In the third, Wright walked three straight batters after striking out leadoff batter Ricky Magdaleno. With the bases loaded, Wright recovered to strike out Mike Meggers and Aaron Boone to kill the threat.

``I didn't have my best stuff today,'' Wright said.

Wright settled down, but he was replaced after a 45-minute rain delay in the seventh inning.

His replacement, Scott LaRock (4-1) picked up the victory, allowing no hits and striking out two in 1 1/3 innings.

Matt Aminoff pitched the ninth to pick up his 10th save. Aminoff struck out Meggers to end the game.

Offensively, Salem tied the score at 1 in the fourth inning when Pookie Jones, called up from Asheville on Wednesday, hit his first Avalanche home run after fouling out twice.

``It felt good,'' said Jones, a former University of Kentucky starting quarterback. ``I came here to work. I was just concentrating on driving the ball.''

In the bottom of the seventh, Mike Higgins plated Brian Culp with a single to give the Avalanche its winning margin.

Warthogs reliever Todd Ruyak, who entered the game in the seventh, took the loss.

see microfilm for box score

Keywords:
BASEBALL



 by CNB