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

DATE: SATURDAY, July 8, 1995                   TAG: 9507110010
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: WILMINGTON, DEL.                                LENGTH: Short

BLUE ROCKS TURN BACK SALEM WITH RUN IN 9TH

Sergio Nunez's single with one out in the bottom of the ninth scored Mendy Lopez with the winning run as the Wilmington Blue Rocks snapped the Salem Avalanche's three-game winning streak with a 5-4 win on Friday night in the Carolina League.

Lopez walked with one out off loser Jeff Sobkoviak (3-2) to start the rally. Matt Aminoff then came on in relief of Sobkoviak and allowed a single to Donovan Delaney. The Blue Rocks (10-6) performed a successful double steal to put runners at second and third with one out, and Nunez, who was 4-for-5, followed with a single to center to score the winning run.

Wilmington took a 2-0 lead in the first inning off Salem starter Matt Pool, but Salem (11-5) answered with four runs in the fourth. Vincente Garcia and Brian Culp each singled with one out to put runners at the corners. Garcia scored the first run when

Michael Evans bobbled a grounder by Forry Wells, and after Edgard Velasquez popped out, John Giudice smacked a two-out, bases-clearing double to give Salem a 4-2 lead.

The Blue Rocks tied the game in the fifth when Evans, who was 3-for-3 with three RBI, hit a two-out, two-run double off Pool.

Sobkoviak took the loss despite not allowing a hit. Relievers Chris Sheehan and Toby Smith slammed the door on Salem by allowing no hits and only one runner in the last four innings of the game. Smith (5-7) picked up the win after pitching a perfect ninth.

NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.

Keywords:
BASEBALL

by CNB