THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 1, 1996 TAG: 9607010122
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 81 lines
If only the Mudville Nine had been blessed with Roberto Petagine instead of Mighty Casey.
Petagine, who homered in the bottom of the ninth inning two days earlier to beat the Ottawa Lynx, was once again thrust into a potential hero's role in the ninth inning Sunday afternoon.
He responded by singling off Curt Schmidt with the bases loaded, plating the tying and winning runs for a 6-5 victory over the Lynx in front of 8,768 at Harbor Park as the Tides improved their International League-best record to 48-32.
Petagine's heroics capped a miraculous three-run rally that made the Tides look as if they'd fallen into a bed of four-leaf clover.
With the Lynx nursing a 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, Ottawa relief pitcher Bob Baxter hit leadoff man Gary Thurman in the back.
Shawn Gilbert followed with a bloop single that leftfielder Yamil Benitez appeared to catch. But the ball popped out of his glove when he hit the ground and when he tried to throw Thurman out at second base from his knees, the throw went wide of the bag, leaving runners at first and second.
After Matt Franco bunted foul with one strike, he singled through the right side with two strikes to score Thurman and advance Gilbert to third. Franco's slow roller barely eluded Lynx first baseman Ryan McGuire and second baseman Francisco Matos.
Trailing 5-4 with no outs, Benny Agbayani welcomed Schmidt with a one-hopper to McGuire, who hesitated twice before throwing to third to try to get Gilbert, who had roamed down the third-base line thinking McGuire might go for the easy out and the possibility of extra innings.
McGuire's throw was on the outfield side of the bag as Gilbert dove back in, loading the bases for Petagine, still with nobody out.
``I was going when (Agbayani) hit it,'' Gilbert said. ``My next thought was that I was too far down the line and I should get in a rundown to make sure Benny got to first. I bluffed and he bought it.''
``I did go to church this morning,'' said Tides manager Bobby Valentine. ``Give credit where it's due. That was a great piece of baserunning. I guess it was just great instinct.''
The Lynx had done their best to pitch around Petagine all day, walking him three times prior to the ninth. His other at-bat resulted in a run-scoring single to rightfield in the third inning.
Adding to the equation, Schmidt had given up Petagine's home run Friday night.
``He had to come right to me and I just hit a fastball right up the middle,'' Petagine said.
Petagine drilled the first pitch from Schmidt off the top of the mound and into centerfield, allowing Gilbert and Franco to trot home.
``We didn't play well yesterday (7-0 loss) or today,'' Gilbert said. ``But we got away with a win and that's the sign of a good ball club. With the bases loaded and no outs, I knew Roberto was going to put the ball in play and either tie it or win it. He did his part and beat (Schmidt) again.'' ILLUSTRATION: GARY C. KNAPP
The Virginian-Pilot
Shawn Gilbert of the Tides easily scores on Matt Franco's double in
the third inning as Ottawa catcher Raul Chavez fires to second base.
Earlier in the inning, Gilbert singled home Alberto Castillo, who
had led off with a single. Franco scored the third run of the inning
on Roberto Petagine's single.
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