ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, August 6, 1996 TAG: 9608060096
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
Maybe the rest of the Salem Avalanche has caught what Luther Hackman had. Caught on, at least.
One night after Hackman tossed a no-hitter to beat Kinston, the Avalanche got another outstanding pitching performance Monday in a 2-1 victory over the Winston-Salem Warthogs before a crowd of 2,614 at Memorial Stadium. (Box score in Baseball Scoreboard. B2)
The gem-by-committee featured a strong start from Matt Pool, who was freed from his bullpen exile for a spot start, and solid relief work from Jeff Sobkoviak and Bill Eden. The trio limited Winston-Salem to six hits and one run and conspired to strike out 11.
``Maybe Luther set off something,'' said Bill McGuire, Salem's manager. ``They say hitting's contagious, maybe pitching's contagious.''
The win gave Salem back-to-back victories for the first time since the Avalanche Durham on July 5-6 and moved them five games behind the South Division-leading Warthogs. With former Colorado Rockies starter David Nied on the mound tonight and Rockies All-Star outfielder Larry Walker beginning his rehabilitation assignment, prospects appear brighter for Salem.
Sobkoviak (6-5) pitched two innings - giving up a run on two hits and striking out five - and became a winner when Salem (16-25) scratched out a run in the bottom of the eighth.
In the seventh, the Warthogs scored first as Trovin Valdez doubled with two out, then slowed only long enough for Amador Arias to beat out an infield single.
When Arias hit the ball to Salem shortstop Kyle Houser, Valdez sped around third and headed home when the throw went to first. Arias was safe and Valdez barely beat the throw home from first baseman Nate Holdren.
Any frustration Holdren may have felt about that play was taken out out on a Ben Bailey change-up in the bottom of the inning. His tremendous clout over the left-field wall tied the score.
Only when he was a linebacker at Michigan did Holdren hit any harder than he has the past couple of weeks. He was 2-for-4 on Monday and saw his string of six hits end in his second at-bat when his screamer to left field was caught by Andre King. Holdren struck out looking his last time up with the bases loaded in the eighth. He had two of Salem's six hits off tough-luck loser Bailey (5-3), who struck out six and walked one in eight innings.
Holdren is batting .583 (14-for-24) during his five-game hitting streak.
``I don't know how to explain it,'' Holdren said. ``I tinkered with my swing a little bit and have tried to clear my mind up there. I spent too much time thinking what the pitcher was going to throw. Now I just concentrate on putting the ball in play."
Pool did a good job of keeping the ball out of play. McGuire wanted five good innings out of Pool and he got them. Pool, who was taken out of Salem's starting rotation a month ago, gave up no runs and four hits while striking out six in five innings.
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines KEYWORDS: BASEBALLby CNB