Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 15, 1995 TAG: 9507170131
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
One of these days, they won't be able to blame Municipal Field for the sorts of flyball-turned-home runs that sank the Salem Avalanche on Friday night.
Jay Knoblauh's eighth-inning three-run homer probably wouldn't have gone out of any place but Municipal Field, but it did, and the Lynchburg Hillcats were 5-4 winners because of it.
Whether that is the last home run to be hit at the old short-fenced pitcher's purgatory before the Avalanche moves to new Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium remains to be seen. It may not be the last, and it certainly wasn't the first.
``One pitch,'' said Salem pitching coach Bill Champion shaking his head.
That's all it took. Reliever Scott LaRock threw it, and Knoblauh belted it.
``He threw it up and in, and he probably didn't want to do that,'' said Knoblauh, who whacked his fifth home run of the year.
Probably not, but nobody in the Salem clubhouse was doing any second-guessing, least of all starter Mike Saipe, who had pitched brilliantly.
``Scott LaRock is a great pitcher, and I'd be glad to have him come in after me any time,'' Saipe said. ``He got a slider up, but it was flyball anywhere else, especially in Wilmington, where we last played.''
At times, Saipe had looked like he was playing his own little game with his catcher, newcomer from Class AA New Haven Will Scalzitti. After giving up a home run to former Salem Buccaneer Reed Secrist, Saipe retired the last 15 batters he faced. Saipe struck out 12 and scattered six hits over seven innings.
In Saipe's last two outings, he has struck out 25 batters in 16 innings and has no decisions to show for it.
``I can't worry about that,'' he said. ``Wins and losses are things that I have no control over.''
Saipe assuredly had control of the Hillcats. The momentary lapse came against Secrist, who has been the Hillcats' most consistent hitter.
``I threw it right to the left-handed sweet spot,'' Saipe said. ``Secrist is a good hitter, and you can't do that with a good hitter.''
Salem had led 3-2 before Knoblauh nailed his homer. Keith Grunewald had hit a solo homer in the seventh for Salem.
Salem added another run to cut the deficit to 5-4 when Cullen Hartzog balked in a run in the eighth. The Avalanche went silently in the ninth.
NOTES: Pat Daugherty, the Colorado Rockies director of scouting, was in Salem examining the troops Friday. .. Four of the five runs Lynchburg scored came because of home runs. ... The Hillcats snapped a five-game losing streak. ... Scalzitti went 1-for-4 with a single in his Salem debut.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB