
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 1, 1994                    TAG: 9406010675 
SECTION: SPORTS                     PAGE: C3    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: 940601                                 LENGTH: NORFOLK

FOUR ERRORS SINK THE TIDES, 7-1

{LEAD} Since they fell into last place in the International League's West Division on May 11, the Norfolk Tides haven't necessarily played like a last-place team. During their stay in the basement, the Tides were 9-10 before Tuesday, with five tough, one-run losses.

There was no consolation this time. The Tides had last place written all over them in a ragged 7-1 loss to the Columbus Clippers that assured them a place at the bottom for at least a few more days.

{REST} The Tides made a season-high four errors - including three in strange succession in the second inning - that led to five unearned runs and an easy triumph for swooning Columbus, which was poised to switch positions in the standings with the Tides.

That dubious transfer will have to wait.

Not only were the Clippers (22-27), who had won just one of their previous seven games, the gracious recipients of the Tides' defensive collapse, they got a strong effort out of Mark Carper, who dragged a 5.53 earned-run average into the contest.

Carper's ERA had dipped considerably by the time he finished seven shutout innings. The Tides (22-30) managed six hits off him and had only one true scoring chance - men on second and third, no outs in the fourth.

``One of our sloppier games of the year,'' Tides manager Bobby Valentine said. ``We didn't deserve to win that one. (Jason) Jacome pitched well enough to win, but the supporting cast wasn't very supportive.''

Jacome was down, 1-0, with two outs and two on when second baseman Quilvio Veras threw an easy ground ball into the Tides' dugout to allow one run to score.

Richard Barnwell followed with a chopper to third that bounced off the glove of Butch Huskey for the second error and let in another run. A few seconds later, Barnwell stole second and catcher Brook Fordyce fired the ball into right-centerfield for the inning's third error, making it 4-0.

``It's about time somebody gave us something,'' Columbus manager Stump Merrill said. ``You put the ball in play, it gives you the opportunity to make something happen.''

Another error, a boot by shortstop Aaron Ledesma, gave Columbus one of its three runs in the seventh.

``That's going to happen sometimes. You just have to live with it,'' said Jacome (4-3), who allowed only two earned runs of the seven charged to him.

``You can't worry about all that other stuff going on. You just have to try to keep feeding them grounders, and hopefully I can get another ground ball hit to the guy who just made an error and give him some confidence. That's what I'd like to do if I could.''

Take it over. That's what the Tides would do with Tuesday if they could. by CNB