ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, April 15, 1996 TAG: 9604150068
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK BULLOCK STAFF WRITER
THE SALEM STARTER holds the Keys to five hits and one run in seven innings.
Nothing has come easy for the Salem Avalanche thus far in the Carolina League baseball season.
Such was the case again Sunday afternoon at sun-soaked Memorial Stadium, where the Avalanche completed the season's first homestand with a 4-3 victory over the Frederick Keys.
Pookie Jones knocked in what proved to be the winning run with a two-out double in the sixth inning, and Salem used strong starting pitching, solid defense and timely hitting to even its record (5-5) on the young season.
Lefty Mike Vavrek held the Keys to one run in seven innings, giving up only two hits through the first five innings, both to Frederick right fielder Wady Almonte.
``It seemed like every ball they hit early in the game went right at somebody,'' Vavrek said. ``I was just trying to throw strikes, and the guys were making the plays behind me.''
Vavrek was the beneficiary of several outstanding defensive plays that kept the Keys off base and off the scoreboard.
Third baseman Steve Bernhardt made a diving stop on a grounder to his left and threw out Jim Foster to end the second inning. Center fielder John Giudice collected a ball that had rolled to the wall and threw out Almonte trying to stretch his hit into a triple in the third inning. And shortstop Kyle Houser went behind second base to take away a hit from Tom D'Aquila in the fifth inning.
Bolstered by those defensive plays and a 3-0 lead, Vavrek concentrated on throwing his fastball for strikes. He was cruising until the sixth inning, when Frederick broke through for a run. In the seventh, Vavrek struggled, loading the bases on two hits and a walk.
After pitching coach Bill Champion made a visit to the mound, Vavrek got David Dellucci to ground out to end the uprising.
``I was starting to get a little tired,'' Vavrek conceded. ``Champ just told me to concentrate more and bear down.''
It was a good thing for Vavrek that he survived the seventh inning. The Keys made a game of it in the eighth by touching Salem reliever Scott LaRock for a pair of runs, drawing to 4-3 and setting the stage for another nail-biter, which has been Salem's specialty thus far.
Nineteen-year-old closer Luis Colmenares retired the side in order in the ninth inning for his fourth save out of five Salem victories, ending the game by striking out Dellucci.
``That's the way it should be when you have your closer out there to close the game,'' Salem manager Bill McGuire said. ``It would be nice to get 12 or 13 runs one day, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen.''
It looked like Salem might avoid a close game when the Avalanche struck for two runs in the first inning. Elvis Pena led off with a single, stole second and scored when Houser doubled into the gap in right-center field. Giudice moved Houser to third with a grounder and designated hitter Nate Holdren drove in the second run with an infield out.
Salem padded its lead in the fourth when right fielder Chad Gambill singled and scored on a two-out double by catcher Blake Barthol, who had two hits.
The way Salem scored had McGuire nodding his approval afterward.
``I'm very happy with our execution,'' he said. ``We're getting our bunts down, moving runners over, and getting runners in when we need to. You don't get that many chances [to score], and situational hitting is a very big thing.''
EXTRA BASES: Salem begins a seven-game road trip with four games in Wilmington and three in Frederick before returning home April 22. ... Holdren was the only Avalanche player who failed to reach base Sunday. ... Among the 1,701 in attendance was Alex Kudryavtsev of Samara, Russia, who was watching his first professional baseball game.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff. Mike Vavrek, the starting pitcher forby CNBSalem, gave up only one run in seven innings on Sunday.