ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, June 5, 1996 TAG: 9606050047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
First, they called it ``the Thing`` for its nondescript, yet lively nature. Soon, however, it earned a more marketable nickname, ``the Doberman.''
On Tuesday night, the Doberman, Salem Avalanche hurler Matt Pool's new pet pitch, lived up to its name. It had the Wilmington Blue Rocks biting all night and flailing their way to a 3-1 loss at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium.
A crowd of 1,082 saw the Avalanche beat the Blue Rocks for the first time in the teams' past six meetings. It also saw Pool end Wilmington's club-record 11-game winning streak.
``Probably his best performance of the year,'' said Bill McGuire, Salem's manager.
Pool, 3-3 with a 6.87 earned run average entering the game, went to the pitch for the third time this season. Created by Pool and pitching coach Bill Champion, it looks like a knuckleball. In the windup and delivery, it looks like a fastball. There aren't any labels for what it does at the plate.
``I first threw it [against] Prince William,'' Pool said. ``It fooled the catcher and everything. I was like, `Where has this been my whole life?'''
Certainly not in his arsenal. But by mixing the Doberman in with his old best friends, the fastball, curve and change-up, he took the bite out of the Blue Rocks' bats. In 81/3 innings, Pool (4-3) struck out four, gave up seven hits and walked none.
``I knew it had to come to an end sometime,`` said John Mizerock, Wilmington's manager.
Pool's last outing, May 29, had kept the Blue Rocks' streak going. In a 7-4 loss that day, he gave up six runs on 11 hits in 42/3 innings.
``They're a great hitting ballclub,'' Pool said, ``but I came in wanting to get them back.''
Meanwhile, Salem got back into the win column after losing seven of its past eight games. Nate Holdren put the Avalanche on the scoreboard with a first-inning double that scored Kyle Houser. In the second, Salem added two runs, first with a single by newcomer Earl Cunningham that scored Chad Gambill and second with a Steve Bernhardt single that scored Blake Barthol.
With Pool and his pet on the mound, that was all the Avalanche (31-27) needed to top Wilmington (34-25). Luis Colmenares picked up the final two outs for his Carolina League-leading 12th save.
``Even in the ninth, we had a chance to lose the game, so it's nice as far as that goes,'' McGuire said. ``A lot of managers in this league don't think we're a good team. All I know is the guys on this team have battled their butts off.''
Salem has an opportunity tonight to win its eighth of 18 series this season when it closes the homestand against the Blue Rocks. The Avalanche's Steve Shoemaker (0-1, 4.20 ERA) goes up against Wilmington righthander Javier Gamboa (2-1, 2.39).
In the stands for another night will be Bob and Madonna Pool, Matt's parents, who deserve some of the credit for his winning outing. They flew in from Fresno, Calif., on Tuesday to spend a week or so with the team. Last year, they did the same thing, and watched Matt throw eight scoreless innings in Lynchburg.
``I guess they're good-luck charms,'' Matt said.
After compiling an earned run average near seven, Pool seemed to have been out of luck for most of this season. Too many balls had fluttered just inches from his teammates or innocently found their way to the outfield.
``That wears on a kid after a while,`` McGuire said. ``That's what he's been having to deal with all year.''
Now, Pool, McGuire and Champion hope to keep dealing with the Doberman.
It was a little tough to handle in the beginning (just ask Salem's catchers), but Pool just might be getting it tamed.
``He's getting a lot more confident with it,'' said Barthol, his catcher Tuesday night. ``Sometimes you don't know what it's going to do.''
On Tuesday night, it bit the Blue Rocks.
WILMINGTON SALEM |abrhbi -|abrhbi Prieto ss|4-0-1-0 Grunwld 2b|5-0-1-0 Rackley rf|4-1-1-0 Houser ss|4-1-0-0 Mendez c|4-0-2-1 Giudice cf|3-0-1-0 Smith 1b|4-0-1-0 Holdren 1b|3-0-1-1 McNally 3b|4-0-0-0 Fntuzzi 1b|0-0-0-0 Evans dh|4-0-0-0 Sclztti lf|4-0-0-0 Shirley lf|3-0-1-0 Gambill rf|4-1-1-0 Teeters cf|3-0-0-0 Barthol c|4-1-0-0 Nunez 2b|3-0-1-0 Cnninhm dh|4-0-2-1 -|----- Brnhrdt 3b|3-0-3-1 Totals|33-1-7-1 Totals|34-3-9-3Wilmington|000000001-1
Salem|12000000x-3
E-Prieto, Smith, McNally. DP-Salem 1. LOB-Wilmington 5, Salem 11. 2B-Mendez, Shirley, Holdren. SH-Bernhardt. SB-Houser 2, Barthol, Cunningham.
------------------------||--IP-HRER-BBSO|
Wilmington|
Grundy L, 2-6||-5---7--3--3---2---3
Brixey||-2---1--0--0---0---0
Carter||-1---1--0--0---0---0
------------------------||--IP-HRER-BBSO|
Salem|
Pool W, 4-3||81/3---7--1--1---0---4
Clmnars S, 12||2/3---0--0--0---0---2
WP-Grundy. HBP-by Brixey (Giudice). PB-Barthol.
Umpires-home, Boberg; bases, Blades.
T-2:14. A-1,082.
LENGTH: Medium: 99 linesby CNB