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

DATE: SUNDAY, July 2, 1995                   TAG: 9507040025
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: WILMINGTON, DEL.                                 LENGTH: Short

WELLS DUSTS OFF HIMSELF, ROCKS IN 6-4 VICTORY

After picking himself up off the deck, Forry Wells did the same for the Salem Avalanche in its 6-4 victory over the Wilmington Blue Rocks in a Carolina League baseball game Saturday night.

Wells, the Avalanche's right fielder, collided with center fielder Edgard Velasquez on a fly ball that resulted in a two-run inside-the-park homer for Carlos Mendez in the fourth inning. Although both players stayed on the ground for several moments, they remained in the game.

Wells then made his biggest impact. Later in the fifth, he saved a run by throwing out Ramy Brooks at the plate after catching Jimmie Byington's flyout, and he delivered a run with a solo homer in the sixth that tied the score at 4.

The Avalanche (8-3) won the game with a pair of unearned runs in the eighth. With two out, Wilmington second baseman Sergio Nunez bobbled Keith Grunewald's grounder to let Pookie Jones score from third. Nate Holdren followed with a single to center that brought home Wells.

Matt Aminoff pitched two innings to record his 11th save. The winner was Jeff Sobkoviak (2-1), whose wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth let Mendez score to put the Blue Rocks ahead 4-3.

Salem took a 2-0 lead in the first on RBI hits from Brian Culp and Grunewald. Holdren made it 3-0 with an RBI single in the fourth.

Wilmington (6-4) scored three runs in the fourth on five consecutive hits, including Mendez's homer and Mendy Lopez's RBI single.

see microfilm for box score

by CNB