ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, August 27, 1996 TAG: 9608270111
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C.
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
SALEM PRO BASEBALL locks up its 17th straight losing half-season.
The streak of futility for Salem minor-league baseball teams continues.
Monday night's 6-2 setback at the hands of the Durham Bulls assured the Salem franchise of its 17th straight losing half-season of Carolina League play. It has not had a winning half since capturing the division title in the first half of the 1988 season.
It is the fourth straight losing half for the Avalanche, an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Most of the other losing seasons came when Salem was a farm team for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Despite striking out seven Bulls in 62/3 innings, Salem starter Mike Vavrek (10-7) was cuffed for 11 hits and six runs. (Box score in Baseball Scoreboard.)
Ramon Nunez delivered a two-run double and Gus Kennedy homered for the Bulls (31-31), who are making a late-season push in the Southern Division of the league despite losing four of their best players after winning the first-half title.
Salem (25-35) cannot finish .500 even if it wins all its remaining games. The Avalanche is 59-70 in the combined season.
Mike Higgins and Will Scalzitti had two hits apiece for the Avalanche, with Higgins slugging his fifth home run of the season in the fourth.
LENGTH: Short : 35 linesby CNB