ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, June 29, 1996 TAG: 9607010053
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
LINK JARRETT'S first hit for the Avalanche produces a 4-3 victory over Durham.
There is an age-old baseball maxim to describe bloop base hits that probably dates back to the day newspaperman Henry Chadwick developed the first scoring system.
``Looks like a line drive in the box score.''
Link Jarrett's first hit in a Salem Avalanche uniform might never be spoken about in glowing prose reserved for the classic home runs of Bobby Thomson, Bill Mazeroski or Joe Carter, but it was the biggest hit of the game even though it didn't clear the infield dirt on the fly.
For it was Jarrett's sawed-off, hump-backed liner over a drawn-in infield in the bottom of the eighth inning that plated Chad Gambill with the winning run of Salem's 4-3 victory over the Durham Bulls before a Friday night audience of 3,325 at Memorial Stadium. (Box score in Baseball Scoreboard. B2)
The hit brought another timeless baseball adage to the lips of Durham manager Randy Ingle.
``It's a game of inches,'' he said.
At 5-foot-10, Jarrett certainly isn't a behemoth, but he come up big when needed. It was Jarrett's first hit in five at-bats since coming down to Salem from Class AA New Haven (Conn.) in the Eastern League. He got a fastball from Durham starter Ray King (0-1) and fought it off just over the head of shortstop Luis Brito.
``I'll take it,'' said Jarrett, who played second and batted ninth. ``I just got enough off it.''
Only a year ago, Jarrett was a utility player for Asheville in the South Atlantic League. He leapfrogged high Class A and soon found himself struggling at New Haven.
``For a player like him to jump a level, that's saying something,'' said Salem manager Bill McGuire. ``He got off to a terrible start, wasn't playing every day and his confidence went downhill.
``A utility player's job is tough, because you wait, wait, wait then you get a chance to perform.''
Jarrett made the most of it. He capped the night by gloving a flyball off the bat of Edward Cordero to end the game with the tying run standing on second base.
``I hope I can fit in somewhere and help the team,'' said Jarrett. ``Maybe I won't be at the same position everyday. I've just got to be ready for a chance. It's kind of like coming out of the bullpen.''
Speaking of which, the bullpen did a fine job in the person of Jeff Sobkoviak (4-3), who allowed two hits in the final two innings to get the win. Starter Matt Pool pitched effectively - using his fastball and off-speed ``Doberman'' pitch (a type of knuckleball sibling) but surrendered three runs in the sixth that knotted the score.
Ahead 3-0, Pool gave up a two-run home run to Brito, then later threw away a pickoff attempt at second that allowed Danny Magee to get to third, where he would score on a Ray Nunez groundout.
It stayed 3-3 until Gambill, who had an RBI single in the fifth, led off the eighth with an opposite-field triple that ticked off the glove of Durham right fielder Marc Lewis.
With the infield playing in, Gambill held at third on Pookie Jones' groundout, then scored on Jarrett's dying quail.
Chan Mayber, another utility-type player who was inserted into the leadoff spot when Elvis Pena fell ill yet again with stomach problems, was the only Salem player with two hits.
``I told Mayber and Jarrett before the game I would try to get them playing time,'' said McGuire. ``They did a good job tonight.''
SNOWBALLS: Salem's Blake Barthol, usually a catcher, was 1-for-3 as a designated hitter. He is batting .524 (11-for-21) against Durham. ... McGuire's daughters, Emily, 3, and Katie, 2, presented the lineup card to home-plate umpire Stuart Robertson before the game. ... Dewey Owen, Salem baseball's oldest season-ticket holder, died late Wednesday at age 97. Owen was well-known by Salem management and fans and he threw out the first ball before the last game of the 1995 season.
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines KEYWORDS: BASEBALLby CNB