ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, June 25, 1996 TAG: 9606250081
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
Leaving the frantic urban rat race of Northern Virginia for the languid rural pace of Southwest Virginia certainly has a calming effect on the Prince William Cannons.
The visitors from Woodbridge have taken to Salem like a federal retiree heading to a mountain retreat, a condition evidenced once again in the Cannons' 4-3 victory over the Salem Avalanche Monday night.
Prince William improved to 5-0 in games at Salem Memorial Stadium this season and upped its record to 8-3 against the Avalanche, which has lost three of four games to begin the Carolina League season's second half.
``I don't know why ... we play good against them,'' said Prince William manager Dave Huppert, a man who doesn't want to ruin a good thing by dwelling upon it. ``We've played well here. I don't know what the reason is. Maybe because it's such a nice place to play.''
Lately, opposing teams have taken to the friendly surroundings of Memorial Stadium like a party crasher that won't leave. Since beginning a homestand in late May that should have been a boon to its first-half pennant hopes, the Avalanche has dropped nine of its last 13 home games.
``We've got to stop the landslide,'' said Salem centerfielder John Giudice.
Once again, the Cannons played like Beltway Bashers against Salem, accumulating 12 hits. Jason Evans was 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles to raise his batting average to .359 in 11 games against the Avalanche. Catcher Joe Walker belted his first home run for the Cannons, but the monstrous drive over the center-field wall leading off the fifth almost could've counted twice.
``They hit against us well,'' said Salem manager Bill McGuire. ``Evans wears us out. I don't dwell on it.''
Salem forged a 3-3 tie with Giudice's three-run home run in the fifth - the same inning the Cannons plated three runs - and eventually loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth with one out. Yet the Avalanche never led.
Prince William wrapped it up in the top of the ninth when Walker, the ninth-place hitter, doubled in the ninth off Todd Genke (4-4). Walker moved to third on Brandon Moore's infield single and scored the winner on Wil Polidor's sacrifice fly.
Salem mounted a rally in the bottom of the ninth by loading the bases with one out off reliever Jim Dixon (3-2). The uprising was quelled when Pookie Jones scorched a grounder up the middle that was deflected by Dixon and wound up in the glove of second baseman Polidor, who turned into a game-ending double play, the Cannons' third twin-killing of the game.
``The pitcher's best friend,'' opined Huppert.
Salem, too, had a pair of nifty double plays that kept the game tight. In the first, second baseman Elvis Pena made a nifty grab behind the bag of a Dan Kopriva grounder and flipped to shortstop Kyle Houser, who made a bare-handed grab in turning a 4-6-3 double play. Not to be outdone, Houser made a diving snag of Nilson Robledo's sizzler in the seventh and started a 6-4-3 double play.
``I tell you, it was a good game,'' said Salem manager Bill McGuire. ``If we can get to the seventh, eighth or ninth inning with a chance to win, that makes it fun. Some may think it's nerve-wracking, but you want the kids to win so bad.''
SNOWBALLS: Struggling Salem reliever Luis Colmenares was sent down to Asheville (N.C.) of the South Atlantic League on Monday. Colmenares, who saved 10 games in the first month of the season, had only two saves in the last six weeks. Colmenares, 19, will most likely be converted into a starter at Asheville. ... Salem picked up some bullpen help with the addition of left-hander Bill Eden from Class AA New Haven (Conn.). ... New third baseman Tal Light had two hits in his Memorial Stadium debut. |PHILIP HOLMAN/Staff Salem's Nate Holdren takes a cut during Monday night's game against Prince William. The Cannons opened the three-game series with a 4-3 win at Salem Memorial Stadium.
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines KEYWORDS: BASEBALLby CNB