Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 30, 1995 TAG: 9508300079
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAMES C. BLACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
And like so many other games this season, the Avalanche fell a run short.
Salem scored twice in the ninth inning but lost to the Wilmington Blue Rocks 4-3 in front of a crowd of 2,728 at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium.
The loss was the fourth in a row for Salem (31-35) and the 21st one-run loss this season. The loss guaranteed Salem will not have a winning half for the 15th straight half. The Avalanche has been eliminated from the Southern Division title race.
"It's about situational hitting," manager Bill Hayes said. "In this game, a lot of the time, it's the little things that matter."
Those little things Tuesday were leaving runners on base.
Salem had runners on first and second with one out in the third and had two on with no out in the eighth before loading the bases. In both cases, the Avalanche failed to score.
"With the bases loaded and one out, you're looking for a big inning," Hayes said of the eighth inning.
The big inning for Salem instead turned out to be the ninth.
Trailing 4-1 with Wilmington reliever Toby Smith on the mound, Forry Wells hit a one-out triple and scored on a double by pinch-hitter Mark Wells.
After Yohel Pozo struck out, Chris Sexton singled to score Mark Wells.
However, Smith got Vicente Garcia to hit a harmless fly ball to right field to end the game and earn his fourth save of the season.
The unsuccessful comeback gave Salem starting pitcher Jamey Wright (10-8) his first decision in four starts against the Blue Rocks (45-20).
Wright allowed four runs and 11 hits in 82/3 innings before being pulled for Mark Brownson.
The Blue Rocks scored twice in the first inning on a two-run double by Michael Evans and then again on single runs in the eighth and ninth inning.
Wilmington starting pitcher Glendon Rusch (14-6), the league leader in wins and ERA, earned his second straight victory against the Avalanche.
Rusch allowed one unearned run on five hits in six innings against Salem.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB