DATE: Monday, May 5, 1997                   TAG: 9705050156

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   53 lines

WITHEM'S PITCHING BAILS OUT THE TIDES

With their bullpen virtually depleted, the Norfolk Tides needed a big outing from pitcher Shannon Withem.

Pitching on just three days rest, Withem stretched himself into the eighth inning, at which point relievers Jim Dougherty and Mike Welch were able to finish matters for a 7-4 victory over the Columbus Clippers Sunday afternoon at Harbor Park.

The departures in the last few days of Takashi Kashiwada and Bill Pulsipher, coupled with a groin injury to Rudy Seanez, had put the Tides pitching staff on red alert.

``I knew I had to have a big day,'' Withem said. ``Not so much in runs allowed as in innings pitched. I needed to go seven, maybe eight.''

This was a dramatic switch from the prior evening, when Columbus won in record-setting fashion, 26-11.

``The great thing is, they can't carry those runs over,'' said Tides catcher Charlie Greene, who was 2 for 4 with two runs batted in. ``And as bad as we were last night, we still won 2 out of 3 in this series.''

The Tides (17-13) scored their first run in the third when Ramon Espinosa reached on an infield single and Greene doubled to the gap in left to score Espinosa.

Norfolk got three more runs in the fourth, starting with a home run to deep right by Roberto Petagine, his second in two games. Wes Chamberlain doubled and moved to third on Phil Geisler's groundout. Chris Saunders then reached on a throwing error by Columbus third baseman Andy Fox.

With runners at the corners, Espinosa hit a two-hopper to Fox, who cut down Chamberlain at the plate. But Greene and Luis Lopez followed with run-scoring singles.

Norfolk added two more runs in the fifth on a single by Benny Agbayani, a run-scoring double by Chamberlain and a run-scoring single by Espinosa.

The Tides scored their last run when Greene reached on a fielding error by Columbus first baseman Ivan Cruz, moved up on a single by Lopez and scored on a single by Jason Hardtke.

The Clippers had scored a run in the fourth when Withem walked Scott Pose and Cruz and Shane Spencer delivered a run-scoring single to right.

They added a run in the fifth on back-to-back doubles by Fox and Marc Ronan.

Withem left after leadoff singles by Matt Howard and Pose in the eighth. After Dougherty relieved, Clay Bellinger then reached on a fielding error by Lopez and Cruz rapped a two-run single to left. Welch pitched the last 1 1/3 innings for his fourth save.

``Shannon was what the doctor ordered,'' Tides manager Rick Dempsey said. ``And to cool that team down after the last game was no easy task.''

Withem figured differently.

``I was happy when I was driving home Saturday night,'' Withem said. ``I figured they couldn't have many hits left in 'em.''

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