ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, May 10, 1996 TAG: 9605100054
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
Now, it's serious. The word ``skid'' comes to mind.
The Salem Avalanche continued to boost the once ailing self-confidence of the Prince William Cannons on Thursday night. The Northern Division visitors completed a four-game sweep of the tenants of Memorial Stadium by beating them 4-2 with 2,823 in attendance.
``We are playing well right now,'' said Dave Huppert, Prince William manager. ``But people forget that this is the first time we've had our lineup since the first of the year. We began the season and then put five guys on the disabled list.''
The Cannons (16-17) continued to batter Salem pitching, this time accounting for 12 hits, a total that pushed the tally in seven games against the Avalanche to 73. As has been the case throughout the series, the lower third of the order was as deadly as arsenic.
Juan Thomas, Jerry Whittaker, Sandy McKinnon and Brandon Moore accounted for seven hits, four runs batted in and four runs scored.
``They've been effective the last 15 games,'' Huppert said. ``They're the ones who are getting things started for us.''
The top of the order hasn't been asleep at the wheel. Leadoff man Ben Boulware doubled and singled and drove in a pair.
``Good to see your power men don't always have to do it,'' Huppert said.
During this series, the Avalanche power men didn't do it, and nobody did it with the bats. Salem (19-15) fell into second place in the Southern Division for the first time in a week after Wednesday's doubleheader sweep.
``I give their pitchers credit,'' Salem manager Bill McGuire said. ``They did a very good job with our hitters.''
Starter Chuck Smith and reliever Mike Place combined on a five hitter. The Avalanche did not have an extra base hit.
A couple of hits to start the game led to John Giudice's sacrifice fly RBI and a 1-0 Salem lead. A rally started with the Avalanche down 3-1 in the seventh with a couple of one-out walks. Pookie Jones' slicing single down the right field line made the score 3-2.
There the rally fizzled, however, and Jones was left at second base.
Salem's pitching, the very asset that had boosted the team, has even shown some tarnish. The ace of the staff, right-hander Brent Crowther, made it into the seventh, as he usually does, but by then his team was down by two runs. One sour inning, Prince William's three-run third, was all it took.
``He really pitched well enough to win,'' McGuire said. ``Just the one bad inning.''
Jeff Sobkoviak relieved him with two outs in the seventh and did his job the rest of the way to keep Salem's hopes alive. Moore - the Prince William No.9 hitter - had an RBI single to plate Whittaker in the eighth, but that was the last of the Prince William scoring.
It was the first defeat for Crowther, who had entered the game having won his first three. He gave up 10 of the 12 hits.
Prince William has won six of seven against Salem.
``We talked about matchups when we swept Kinston,'' McGuire said. ``Prince William matches up well with us.''
The Cannons started the night in a tie with Frederick for the lead in the division.
Salem now goes to Durham to play the Bulls, the team it is chasing in the Southern Division. It is the first time Salem has seen the Bulls this year, and it would seem this would not be a good time to do so.
``Yes it is,'' McGuire said. ``It's the same reason I hate to see a team come in here with a losing record. They have no place to go but up.''
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines KEYWORDS: BASEBALLby CNB