Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 2, 1995 TAG: 9509060034
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAMES C. BLACK STAFF WRITER NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Friday night was no exception.
Velasquez had three hits and four RBI, and Sexton had a double and three walks as the Salem Avalanche defeated the Hillcats 9-6 before a crowd of 3,546 at Memorial Stadium.
Velasquez, who was named to the Carolina League's year-end All-Star team Thursday, raised his batting average to .300 for the season with Friday's performance.
"He put together a good year for us," manager Bill Hayes said of Velasquez, who also extended his hitting streak to 10 games. "He made a lot of improvement this year."
Sexton, batting .315 against Lynchburg going into the game including a 4-for-4 night Thursday, led off the bottom of the first with a walk. He scored on a towering one-out, two-run home run by Velasquez, who was batting .301 against the Hillcats before Friday's game.
Hillcats left-fielder Jake Austin took two steps back and just watched Velasquez's shot sail over the left-field wall.
"I was looking for a fastball but he hung me a curve," Velasquez said of Bryan Farson's first pitch for his 13th homer this season.
Colin Dixon then hit the first pitch he saw, a fastball, off the top of the fence in left-center field to give Salem a 3-0 lead.
"When a pitcher gives up a home run, he usually comes right at the next guy with a fastball," Dixon said of his fifth round-tripper.
The homers by Velasquez and Dixon were the first back-to-back long balls at Memorial Stadium.
The lead didn't last long as Lynchburg (34-34) responded with three runs in the bottom of the second to tie the score.
But Sexton struck again in the second, hitting a one-out double to the power alley in left-center field. Vicente Garcia followed with a double in the same spot to give Salem (33-36) the lead again at 4-3.
The Hillcats scored once in the fourth to tie the score at 4. However, Salem would take the lead for good in the bottom of the inning.
Yohel Pozo reached on a one-out fielding error, Sexton followed with a walk and Garcia singled to load the bases.
Velasquez then drove in his second pair of runs with a single off the left-field wall to give Salem a 6-4 advantage.
Dixon singled and Brian Culp followed with a sacrifice to score Garcia for a 7-4 lead.
Farson was relieved by Jason Pfaff, who allowed a single to Keith Grunewald which scored Velasquez for an 8-4 advantage.
Pfaff got Nate Holdren to strike out to end the threat.
Lynchburg scored in the fifth to pull to 8-5, and both teams scored in the eighth inning for the final tally. Curt Conley retired Lynchburg in order in the ninth to break Salem's five-game losing streak against the Hillcats.
Farson's (7-3) final numbers were eight runs (four earned) and seven hits in 31/3 innings.
Joe Waldron (1-2) allowed one run on six hits in three innings of relief for the victory and Conley allowed one run in two innings to earn his third save.
Sexton, a steady performer at shortstop this season, also made a spectacular fielding play for the Avalanche.
Lynchburg's Ramon Zapata led off the third with a shot toward left field but Sexton extended himself and snatched the potential hit.
NOTES: The teams square off tonight at 7 at Memorial Stadium in the season finale. Salem southpaw Doug Million (4-7, 4.80 ERA) takes the mound against Lynchburg lefty Danny Young (2-3, 6.81).
by CNB