THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 1, 1994 TAG: 9409010727
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOKOLOSKI, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: MOOSIC, PA. LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
With all the wild games Norfolk has played against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year, the Tides should have known that their two-run lead in the eighth inning wasn't safe.
Ron Lockett blasted a towering home run to tie the game in the ninth inning and Kevin Jordan later ripped an RBI double to give Scranton/Wilkes-Barre a dramatic 5-4 victory over the Tides.
``Every time we play these guys this year, it's always an interesting ballgame,'' said Tides coach Marlon McPhail, who is managing the team in the absence of the ailing Bobby Valentine.
Indeed, Norfolk won two dramatic games against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier this season - one with a six-run rally in the ninth inning at Harbor Park and another with 10 runs - with two outs and down to the final strike in the seventh and last inning - in Moosic.
Then on Monday, Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre's Robert Gaddy pitched a perfect game through eight innings while Norfolk's David Telgheder battled him with a no-hitter into the eighth. Neither pitcher gained a decision in that one, which Scranton/Wilkes-Barre won, 4-3, in 14 innings.
The two teams will close the season with a three-game series at Harbor Park, beginning tonight.
``Yeah, well, the fans can come out and watch some interesting ball,'' McPhail said. ``We've been in a position to win two out of three of these ballgames.''
Instead, Norfolk suffered at the hands of the Red Barons, who recorded their only home sweep of the season.
That happened when Lockett sent a Pete Walker pitch beyond the rightfield fence to tie the game, 4-4.
Two outs later, Charlie Montoyo drew a walk, and Jordan doubled to left-center, sending Montoyo home just ahead of the relay throw.
Norfolk had the upper hand for most of the game, scoring three runs in the first inning.
Doug Dascenzo walked and eventually scored on an error, Butch Huskey singled in another Tides run, and Huskey raced home on Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's second error of the first inning.
Montoyo lined a home run in the third inning, and Jordan doubled and scored on Tom Marsh's single in the sixth, pulling the Red Barons within 3-2.
Shawn Hare doubled home Huskey in the top of the eighth inning, giving Norfolk a 4-2 cushion. But Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pulled within 4-3 on Jordan's RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, setting up the dramatic ninth.
``That's baseball,'' McPhail said. ``Sometimes it doesn't work out.'' by CNB