ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 16, 1996 TAG: 9607170002
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WOODBRIDGE
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
Tal Light hit two home runs and knocked in five runs, and Blake Barthol drove in four runs as the Salem Avalanche broke its five-game losing streak in a resounding way with an 11-5 victory over the Prince William Cannons in a Carolina League game Monday night.
Light's blasts - a two-run shot in the fourth and a solo job in the eighth - were his fifth and sixth homers as a member of the Avalanche (10-12). He now has 18 homers combined with Salem and Asheville (N.C.) on the season.
Salem started early off Prince William starter Allen Halley, scoring three runs in the first inning after taking advantage of three Prince William errors. Nate Holdren and Light hit back-to-back RBI singles to give the Avalanche a 2-0 lead and Holdren, who had advanced to third on a fielding error by Sandy McKinnon on Light's single, scored on a groundout by Barthol as the Avalanche took a three-run lead.
The Cannons (11-11) cut the lead to 3-1 on a sacrifice fly by Wil Polidor in the second but Salem answered with two more runs in the third.
Holdren singled to lead off the inning and Light followed with his two-run homer to give Salem a 5-1 lead.
Salem took an 8-1 lead in the fourth off reliever Alex Portillo. Earl Cunningham walked with two outs and Holdren singled. Light then singled home Cunningham and Barthol followed with a two-run single that gave Salem a seven-run lead.
Prince William rallied in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four runs off Salem starter Mike Vavrek to cut the lead to 8-5.
Salem put the game away in the seventh. Barthol homered off reliever Curtis Broome to lead off the inning and Chan Mayber's RBI single gave the Avalanche a 10-5 lead. Light's solo homer in the eighth finished the scoring.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines KEYWORDS: BASEBALLby CNB