ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 24, 1996 TAG: 9604240056
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
THE AVALANCHE scores in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Kinston Indians 1-0.
Peculiar as it may seem now, the turning point of the Salem Avalanche's 1-0 victory over the Kinston Indians may have come in the top of the first inning.
That was when Indians leadoff man Chip Glass tripled with none out only to be marooned where he stood like a wayward sailor on a remote spit of sand.
A lot happened after that, including some disorderly doings in the Kinston outfield that led to the winning run in the bottom of the ninth. But more on that stuff later.
The Kinston first was what dominated the thinking in both clubhouses afterwards.
``Exactly,'' Salem manager Bill McGuire said. ``That's the kind of stuff that gives coaches gray hairs. My girls [daughters Emily and Katie] may give me gray hair, but these guys never will.''
That's the proper spirit for one whose livelihood is closely tied to the fortunes of this group. To date, peril has been the constant companion of the Avalanche campaign, with Salem moving its record to 8-4 in one-run games. Games settled by a single run have been the norm in 12 of the 19 games played.
``Typical Salem victory,'' McGuire said. Elvis Pena began a ninth inning rally with a well-stroked single off reliever Wilmer Montoya, who had just come in for Noe Najera. The left-handed changeup artist had tossed a tidy two-hitter over the first eight innings.
``That kid really pitched one heck of a game,'' McGuire said. ``Nate Holdren and I were talking before the game. Nate is an astute observer and we were talking about how [Noe] had had 201 strikeouts in 171 innings pitched last year but the league was batting .270 against him.
``Nate said he must have a good out pitch. I said he had to have a changeup. We were right dead on it.''
Salem had some stout pitching of its own from Brent Crowther, who scattered four hits over nine innings to improve to 2-0. He induced 14 groudball outs and three grounder-started double plays.
``I pitched the whole time knowing that if I could just keep us in the game, that one run could do it for us,'' he said.
The one run came in the ninth, the uprising being born on Kyle Houser's bat, an instrument that had failed to lay down bunts at crucial junctures twice earlier in the game.
``I knew I was going to have to do something to get us going,'' Houser said.
The bunt was taken off with two strikes and that was when Houser whistled a single to left. A bad throw from right field allowed Pena to score.
``Bad way to end a ballgame,'' Kinston manager Jack Mull said. ``That's the way it's been going for us. We get a guy on second and then act like it's us who are in trouble instead of the pitcher.''
SNOWBALLS: Wind that started before the first pitch continued through the game, overturning Salem's on-deck circle rug and threatening to rip the flag in center field from its tether. Team vice president Sam Lazzaro ordered the flag to be lowered, but a crew of five failed to get the job done and withdrew. ... Catcher Mike Higgins was downcast after a wayward baseball put a dent in his 1995 Volkswagon Jetta the previous evening. ... Left-hander Keith Barnes is on the disabled list with a sore shoulder.
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines KEYWORDS: BASEBALLby CNB