ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, April 25, 1996 TAG: 9604250051
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
The Salem Avalanche pitching just keeps on coming and the sinking Kinston Indians ship keeps on going.
Salem pitching extended a scoreless innings streak to 201/3 before Robin Harriss delivered an irrelevant ninth inning run-scoring single as the Avalanche tripped the Indians 3-1 at Memorial Stadium Wednesday in front of 1,001 witnesses.
Salem won its fourth straight to stay in sole possession of second place in the Carolina League's Southern Division standings behind first-place Durham. Kinston, which had been tied with Durham at 10-6 at the start of the Salem series, lost its third straight.
"I know one thing: We're not this bad a ballclub,'' manager Jack Mull said. "Right now, we're just going up and going through the motions. No intensity.''
And not much hitting, either. Salem pitchers Mike Vavrek, Patrick McClinton, and Luis Colmenares limited the Indians to 10 hits, but more importantly, threw one blank inning after another at them. Vavrek, a left-hander who heaves an effective changeup, won his third straight decision.
"I didn't have my good stuff tonight so I tried to throw my fastball off the plate and hope they beat it into the ground,'' he said. "I also occasionally threw my change.''
It was more than occasional from where Salem manager Bill McGuire sat.
"He threw it 20 times in that game. That's very high for A ball. Maybe not for the big leagues, but for A ball, yes.''
Colmenares finished up with assistance from Pat McClinton in the ninth. Colmenares came away with his Carolina League-leading seventh save.
"The thing I remember is two defensive plays,'' McGuire said. "[Center fielder John] Giudice going to the track to catch that ball then double the runner off second in the seventh and [shortstop Kyle] Houser going across second to stop that ball and make a play at shortstop in the eighth. The average fan might not notice what a fantastic play that really was.''
Catcher Mike Higgins doubled twice and drove in a run and Nate Holdren added an RBI double to lead the offense.
SNOWBALLS: Just prior to the game Kinston catcher Mike Moyle, who had been scheduled to start, was rushed to Lewis-Gale Hospital after complaining of dizziness and an outbreak of hives. The problem was found to me an allergic reaction to some food he had eaten. ... A fifth-inning scoring decision on a ball off the bat of John Giudice from Tuesday night's 1-0 Salem victory was changed from an error on Tim Jorgensen to a hit, leaving the Avalanche with five hits for the game. ... Save for the John Burke three-inning rehabilitation assignment Monday, there has not been a Avalanche starting pitching outing that has gone fewer than six innings since April 15 when Matt Pool went five innings in a 2-1 victory at Wilmington.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 linesby CNB