ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, August 2, 1996 TAG: 9608020038
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: FREDERICK, MD.
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
THE AVALANCHE BEGINS a long two days' journey into night by dropping the first two games of a Carolina League tripleheader at Frederick.
Even the avid baseball fan would find this a little much.
The Salem Avalanche started playing at 3:30 Thursday afternoon and finished at 11:30, losing the completion of a suspended game and another game before pulling out a third game in 11 innings in its Carolina League tripleheader against the Frederick Keys.
Kyle Houser's RBI single off Mike Trimarco in the top of the 11th broke a 5-5 tie and Mike Higgins ended the six-run inning with a three-run blast as the Avalanche salvaged one game by winning 11-5, snapping a five-game losing streak.
Frederick led 4-1 going into the seventh and final scheduled inning but Tal Light smacked a three-run homer that tied the game, sending it to extra innings. Blake Barthol's solo homer in the eighth gave Salem a 5-4 lead but Frederick answered with a run in the bottom of the eighth to tie the score.
The Avalanche (14-23) suffered a tough 1-0 loss in the opener, the completion of a game that was suspended Tuesday because of rain. Salem starting pitcher Luther Hackman allowed the only run on Tuesday, when Rick Short led off the second inning with a single and Wady Almonte followed with a double to produce the game's only run.
Sidney Ponson (5-4) got the win, going the last five innings, allowing two hits, walking two and striking out seven.
The second game turned into a home run contest which Salem lost 5-3. The Avalanche jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning when Pookie Jones cranked a two-run home run to right, his fifth of the season. The homer ended a 171/3-inning scoreless streak for Salem.
Frederick (18-18) scored in the bottom of the second on Almonte's solo homer and took a 3-2 lead in the third on Mike Wolff's two-run shot.
Nate Holdren hit his 12th homer of the season - a solo shot - in the sixth to tie the score. Frederick, though, took advantage of two walks, an error, a hit and a sacrifice fly off Salem reliever Jeff Sobkoviak (5-5) in the bottom of the sixth to score two runs to win 5-3.
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Short : 49 linesby CNB