ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, April 5, 1997 TAG: 9704070139
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: SPORTS EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN THE ROANOKE TIMES
Durham scores seven runs in the fifth inning to defeat Salem in a Carolina League season opener.
For four innings Friday night, the Salem Avalanche had the world and 6,679 baseball-famished fans at its fingertips.
But one bad bounce brought on the bad karma in the fifth inning. It made a game that at first looked like a great season opener look like a blast from the past. With a stress on blast.
Durham scored seven runs in the fifth inning and knocked out an 11-6 victory over the Avalanche at Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium.
The most highly attended game in stadium history was also one of the most high scoring, with a final tally reminiscent of the old Municipal Stadium.
It wasn't high-scoring from the start however. Salem starter Scott Randall retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced, throwing a total of 21 pitches in the second through fourth innings. Meanwhile, the Avalanche went ahead 2-0. It held the lead until the fifth.
``I still felt good," Randall said.
Designated hitter Dave Whatley, who hit .331 in Durham last season yet still was not promoted to Class AA, took out his frustrations on the Avalanche as he led off the fifth inning.
Whatley smashed a ball off the first base bag that sprang into the air and past Salem first baseman Justin Drizos. After Pascual Matos grounded to the pitcher and George Lombard walked, Durham third baseman Brian Rust knocked Whatley in with a grounder down the third base line. Rust went to second on an errant pickoff attempt by Randall and the Bulls were off and running. They scored six more runs in the inning.
``We caught a couple breaks with the ball off the bag," Runge said. ``That and the wild throw to first might have gotten things going for us."
Randall was going into uncharted territory by entering the fifth inning. As a matter of Rockies spring training policy, he hadn't been allowed to throw more than four innings in a game.
``We do so much about the number of pitches that are thrown," said Bill ``Moose" McGuire, Salem's manager. ``There was another factor involved, and that was him getting up there five times. He's never done that yet."
Salem scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut it to 7-4, but the Bulls scored four runs in the final two innings to ice it. Durham had 12 hits and left just two runners on base.
Bulls reliever Andy Zwirchitz (pronounced: squeezits) got the victory and Anthony Briggs earned a save by pitching the final three innings. Randall took the loss for Salem.
It was not a total loss for the Avalanche, however.
Relief pitcher Lloyd Peever was one of two veterans who showed promise. He was pitching his first game since having shoulder surgery in 1995 while he was with Class AAA Colorado Springs. Peever pitched the sixth and seventh, allowing no hits, runs or walks and striking out two.
The massive crowd also got to see a heretofore rare offensive explosion as Salem tallied 11 hits. Veteran Jamie Taylor showed he knows what to do at the plate by going 4-for-5 with a triple, run scored and three runs batted in.
``That was the definitely the best opening night I've ever had," said Taylor. ``I can't remember ever getting four hits in a game."
Although it was an opening day loss, Salem won't take a lot of bad memories from this one.
``We had 11 hits," said McGuire. ``Errors didn't beat us, walks didn't beat us. We just got beat, and that happens sometimes." NOTE: please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN THE ROANOKE TIMES. Salem second basemanby CNBElvis Pena fields a grounder in the third inning of Friday's season
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