ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 28, 1996 TAG: 9604290120
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARK BULLOCK STAFF WRITER
Fittingly, Saturday was Fireworks Night at Salem Memorial Stadium.
There were plenty of pyrotechnics on display, many of which were seen before the final out was recorded in Winston-Salem's 12-6 Carolina League baseball victory over the Salem Avalanche.
The Warthogs ignited for six runs in the ninth inning on the strength of a rocket shot and a couple of flares to break open what had been a back-and-forth game. (Box score in Baseball Scoreboard. C2)
Winston-Salem first baseman Marlon Allen launched the rocket shot, a double that sailed over Salem center fielder John Giudice's head and ricocheted off the wall, and Yuri Sanchez and Scott Sharp lobbed excuse-me flares between the infield and outfield in the Warthogs' six-run uprising.
Allen also provided a laser of a home run in the fourth inning that cleared the wall in left-center field nearly 400 feet from home plate. He was 3-for-5 with three runs batted in to lead a Winston-Salem offensive assault that torched four Salem pitchers for 13 hits.
The victory avenged a shutout thrown at the Warthogs on Friday night and snapped a six-game Avalanche winning streak.
``We've been playing too good for this to deter my feelings about this ballclub,'' said Bill McGuire, Salem's manager. ``Today was just a bad day for us.''
It was looking like a good day in the seventh inning, when Salem scored three runs to tie the score at 6, all coming with two out and nobody on base. Consecutive doubles by Kyle Houser, Giudice and Nate Holdren plated two runs, and Holdren trotted home when Winston-Salem third baseman Steve Eddie bobbled Brian Culp's grounder.
That erased a 6-3 lead the Warthogs had forged off Salem starter John Burke, who was making his second appearance for the Avalanche on a rehabilitation assignment from Class AAA Colorado Springs.
Burke went five innings, giving up six runs and six hits. He struck out the side in the first and retired the side in order in the second before running into trouble. A lone run in the third preceded his undoing, a four-run fourth that was punctuated by Allen's prodigious home run.
McGuire didn't know whether Burke had earned his ticket back to Colorado Springs or whether he would make another start for Salem.
``Actually, I thought he threw well tonight,'' McGuire said. ``He pitched well enough to compete at the Triple-A level.''
Burke was bailed out by Salem's seventh-inning rally, and the table was set for Avalanche closer Luis Colmenares, the league leader in appearances (12) and saves (seven).
Colmenares came on with two out in the eighth and inherited runners at first and third. He ended the inning with one pitch.
In the ninth, the wheels came off when Colmenares issued a walk to Amador Arias to open the inning. Andre King bunted, and Arias raced to third when Salem second baseman Elvis Pena botched the throw at first. A walk to Trovin Valdez loaded the bases before Colmenares uncorked a wild pitch, scoring Arias on a play in which Colmenares was spiked in the right knee while covering the plate and had to leave the game.
Pat McClinton replaced Colmenares and gave up a run-producing single to designated hitter Dee Jenkins, a squeeze bunt to Eddie and successive hits to Allen, Sanchez and Sharp, all of which resulted in runs.
When the smoke had cleared, the season-high crowd of 2,951 was left waiting for the real fireworks.
``We just didn't play as well as we had been playing,'' McGuire said. ``Those things are going to happen in baseball, so I'm not going to worry too much about one ballgame.''
McGuire said he decided to use Colmenares in the eighth inning of a tie game, ``because we needed him to close out a rally to give us a chance to win.''
``Most people think you only use your closer in situations when you are ahead, but we needed him to close out that [eighth] inning.''
Salem left fielder Pookie Jones had three consecutive singles and finished the night 3-for-4, but was doubled off first base in the eighth inning because of a mental lapse when he failed to return to the base on a fly ball, thinking there were two outs.
``Not knowing the number of outs hurt us,'' McGuire said. ``We didn't play that well defensively, either. But we've played well and I'm still very pleased with this team.''
EXTRA BASES: In some roster moves, pitcher Brian Rose has been sent to Asheville of the South Atlantic League, outfielder Ronnie Hall is on the disabled list with a shoulder strain and catcher Will Scalzitti has been assigned to the Avalanche from New Haven of the Class AA Eastern League. ... Colmenares suffered a spike wound to his right knee and likely will be listed day-to-day depending on his condition today. ... Public-address announcer Craig Wright resigned his position Thursday. This was his third season behind the microphone. He will be replaced by radio personality ``Slam'' Duncan and Bruce Reynolds.
LENGTH: Medium: 90 linesby CNB