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

DATE: Saturday, August 27, 1994              TAG: 9408270395
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: C2   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY TOM ROBINSON, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: NORFOLK                            LENGTH: Medium:   56 lines

2 HOME RUNS BY BURNITZ NOT ENOUGH FOR TIDES NORFOLK BOWS OUT OF RACE FOR PLAYOFF SPOT WITH 5-2 LOSS.

On a Friday night that the Norfolk Tides officially bowed out of the race for a West Division playoff spot, Jeromy Burnitz, at least, went down swinging.

The Tides' rightfielder blasted two home runs more than 400 feet apiece and added a single for three of his team's customary total of six hits. But the Tides fell to the Ottawa Lynx, 5-2, before a paid crowd of 13,005 for their seventh loss in the last nine games.

The crowd was the second-largest in Tides' history. They drew 13,069 last Saturday.

In six of their last seven games, the Tides (64-70) have scraped together just six hits.

It was the third three-hit game for Burnitz, who also added another assist to his defensive resume by throwing out ex-Tide Jeff Gardner at second base.

``I hit them both right on the screws,'' said Burnitz, who has 12 home runs and missed a 13th when he flew out to the leftfield wall. Harbor Park can terrorize lefthanded power hitters, but for a night when the cross-wind to left was still, Burnitz took advantage by doubling his home run output at home.

His first blast off Rod Henderson sailed out past the scoreboard in right-center, and his second left the park to dead center, one of the few to depart in that direction in Harbor Park's two seasons.

``I'd like to play in a park that's more conducive to putting up numbers,'' Burnitz said. ``I love it here, it's a beautiful place, but it's not good for a lefthanded hitter with power, especially for a guy who doesn't hit for a high average, because I count on some of those numbers. But it just isn't going to happen.''

For example, Burnitz might have hit a ball even harder to right-center last week, but the flags were rippling to left that night and the shot bounced off the fence for a double.

``I was disgusted,'' Burnitz said. ``I'm not used to hitting a ball hard and high that doesn't go over the fence.

``I've never done it, ever. But here you do it quite often. But you know, I still love it, it's a great park. It's just hard to hit here.''

STAR SEARCH? Fans were, ah, treated to the singing of pitcher Frank Seminara over the PA system between innings.

Seminara made a tape of himself singing the Red Hot Chili Peppers' ``Under the Bridge'' on Friday at a mall and played it in the clubhouse.

But before the game, Eric Hillman sneaked it upstairs to the sound booth.

The verdict?

A star, shall we say, was not born. by CNB