ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, July 8, 1996 TAG: 9607080161
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C.
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
Most people thought the sluggers had left Durham when Andruw Jones, Ron Wright and Wes Helms were called up to Greenville (S.C.) of the Class AA Southern League.
Think again.
Durham knocked around Salem ace and Carolina League All-Star pitcher Doug Million and reliever Pat McClinton - scoring 10 runs on seven hits in the fourth inning alone - as the Bulls stampeded past the Avalanche 14-5 on Sunday night before a crowd of 5,086 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Durham (9-8) had only one home run in the game - a three-run shot by Mickey Correa in the fourth - but used a barrage of singles and doubles to total 14 hits. The 10 runs were the most the Avalanche has given up in one inning in any game this season.
Things actually looked good for Salem (9-8) early after it fought back from a two-run deficit to take a 5-2 lead off Bulls starter Derrin Ebert.
Tal Light led off the second inning with an opposite-field homer to make it 2-1. Chad Gambill and Earl Cunningham each singled with one out, and Pookie Jones hit an RBI double to tie the score at 2. Chan Mayber followed with an RBI groundout to give Salem a 3-2 lead.
In the third, Light smashed his fourth homer as an Avalanche player and third in his past two games - a two-run blast - to give Salem a 5-2 lead.
The Bulls tacked on two runs in the third to make the score 5-4 before before Ray Nunez's two-run single in the fourth gave Durham a lead it would not relinquish. An RBI fielder's choice by Mike Mahoney made the score 7-5, and three batters later Mark Warner drilled a two-run double down the left-field line to make it 9-5.
Mark Lewis' two-run double off the scoreboard gave the Bulls a six-run lead and led to the big blow. Mike Eaglin walked after Lewis' double and Correa followed with a three-run shot as Durham took a 14-5 lead. It was Correa's sixth homer in 17 games with the Bulls. He finished 4-for-5 with four RBI.
Million (7-5) had maybe the worst outing of his career, going 3 2/3 innings and giving up nine runs on nine hits while walking four and striking out four. McClinton, whose ERA was under 2.00 going into the game, faced five batters and did not retire anyone, giving up five runs on four hits and a walk.
Ebert (8-5) was the beneficiary of the offensive support, giving up five runs on eight hits in six innings.
The Carolina League is off the next two days because of the major league All-Star break. Salem resumes its trip on Wednesday when it travels to Lynchburg.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines KEYWORDS: BASEBALLby CNB