ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 29, 1996 TAG: 9605290128
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WILMINGTON, DEL.
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
Keifer Rackley's pinch-hit grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning propelled the Wilmington Blue Rocks past the Salem Avalanche 6-5 in a Carolina League game Tuesday night.
The loss spoiled a fine outing by Salem starter Mike Vavrek, who went 7 2/3 innings and gave up four runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out eight. He retired 16 in a row at one point and left the game in the eighth with two runners on base and Salem holding a 5-2 lead.
Sergio Nunez led off the eighth with a single off Vavrek and Carlos Mendez singled one out later. Vavrek then got Matt Smith to strike out for the second out before giving way to Zack Sawyer.
The Salem reliever walked pinch-hitter Michael Evans, then gave up a towering blast to Rackley over the right-center field wall. The Wilmington shut the door on the Avalanche in the ninth.
Sawyer took the loss, going one-third of an inning and giving up two runs on one hit.
Salem scored a run in the first inning off Blue Rocks starter Phil Grundy when Chan Mayber led off with a walk and stole second. Mayber later scored on a groundout by John Giudice to make it 1-0.
Wilmington countered with two runs in the bottom of the first. Mendez doubled with two out and scored on Smith's double to tie the score. The Blue Rocks took a 2-1 lead when Ramy Brooks singled to left to score Smith.
The Avalanche took a 3-2 lead in the second on a two-run homer by Blake Barthol, then scored two runs in the top of the seventh on an RBI single by Kyle Houser, who later came home on a three-base throwing error.
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines KEYWORDS: BASEBALLby CNB