THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 1, 1996 TAG: 9606010357
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 50 lines
The Norfolk Tides plated three runs Friday night by way of a squeeze bunt that somehow cleared the pitcher's head, a bloop single that might not have broken glass and a pickoff throw in the dirt.
When you're hot, you win in various fashions.
The Tides' 3-0 victory over the Columbus Clippers at Harbor Park was their 12th win in 16 games and stretched Norfolk's lead in the International League West Division to three games over the Clippers.
``Balls fall in and the other team's hard-hit balls get caught,'' said relief pitcher Rick Trlicek, who sat down the last seven Clippers to preserve the victory. ``When you feel it, it's a confidence thing and the whole team feels it.''
Catcher Alberto Castillo was definitely feeling it in the fourth inning. After Jason Hardtke doubled to the gap in left with one out and advanced on a throwing error by Clippers third baseman Marc Delasandro on Benny Agbayani's ground ball, Tides manager Bobby Valentine called for the squeeze bunt.
With Hardtke breaking for home, Castillo popped up his bunt attempt. But the ball cleared Columbus pitcher Brian Boehringer, who was breaking toward the plate, and fell out of Delasandro's reach for a base hit.
``Live or dead,'' said Castillo, who also erased two base runners on attempted steals. ``If you don't get that down, you're in trouble.''
The Tides' other two runs came in the seventh on consecutive singles by Luis Rivera, Gary Thurman and Shawn Gilbert and an errant pickoff attempt by Columbus reliever Dale Polley.
Gilbert's soft flare made the outfield grass in center by about 20 feet, scoring Rivera. Polley then came on in relief and bounced a pickoff attempt to first, allowing Thurman to score from third.
After that Trlicek benefitted from two outstanding plays in the field by Rivera in the eighth and a running catch in right-center by Thurman in the ninth.
Rivera made a back-pedaling catch on a bloop by Bubba Carpenter into shallow leftfield. Rivera then went into the hole between short and third and came up throwing to rob Tim Barker of an infield hit.
Thurman gloved a shot off the bat of Ricky Ledee with one out in the ninth.
The shutout was the Tides' seventh of the season and was the second consecutive start in which Fyhrie, who went 6 2/3 innings, has combined with relief help for a shutout. Fyhrie went seven innings in a 2-0 victory over Richmond last Sunday.
NOTES: The Tides will honor seven area Olympic torchbearers tonight with a fireworks display sponsored by the United Way following the game. . . . The first 5,000 fans will also receive telephone-styled squeeze water bottles. by CNB