ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 16, 1996 TAG: 9604160105
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WILMINGTON, DEL.
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
Salem closer Luis Colmenares got himself into a late-inning jam, but got himself out of it to pick up his league-leading fifth save Monday as the Avalanche held on for a 2-1 Carolina League victory over the Wilmington Blue Rocks.
Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Sean McNally led off the inning with a single and pinch runner Julio Montilla went to second on a balk. Ramy Brooks followed with a single to put runners at the corners with no outs for the Blue Rocks (3-8).
Donovan Delaney then hit a grounder back to Colmenares, who threw to catcher Mike Higgins. Higgins ran Montilla back to third and tagged out Brooks, who was trying to go to third, and then threw out Delaney trying to go to second for the second out. Colmenares struck out Al Shirley to end the game.
Salem (6-5) scored the winning run in the sixth inning when Elvis Pena, who had singled, came home from third on a successful double steal with John Giudice, who had walked.
Pookie Jones homered to lead off the third inning off Wilmington starter Phil Grundy (0-1) for the other Avalanche run.
Wilmington scored in the bottom of the third when Alejandro Prieto led off with a solo shot off Salem starter Matt Pool.
Pool (1-0) got the win, going five innings and giving up one run while striking out six and walking two. Grundy took the loss, allowing two runs on six hits in seven innings. He walked three and struck out four.
The Avalanche has beaten the Blue Rocks four out of five times this season. The teams meet again tonight with Luther Hackman taking the mound for Salem and John Martin starting for Wilmington.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Short : 42 lines KEYWORDS: BASEBALLby CNB