DATE: Wednesday, May 21, 1997               TAG: 9705210733

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   66 lines

SEVEN-RUN FIRST DOOMS TIDES

Spotting the other team an early touchdown can often be overcome - in football.

But when a baseball team gives up an early seven like the Norfolk Tides did Tuesday night, it's a little different.

Such was the case as the Richmond Braves rolled to a 10-6 victory at Harbor Park.

The Braves made everything count in the first inning, starting a seven-run rally with an awful bounce when Marty Malloy's sharp grounder bounded over second baseman Jason Hardtke's shoulder.

``Here it is the first play of the game and the field's supposed to be in perfect shape,'' Hardtke said. ``And I've got a ball that bounces straight up at my head. I look up at the scoreboard and it's flashing E4.''

Initially ruled an error, Malloy was later credited with a hit, one of six the Braves collected in the first frame. No. 8 hitter Joe Ayrault's two-run home run off starting pitcher Shannon Withem into the leftfield picnic area ended the scoring burst.

It marked the seventh straight game in which the Tides failed to get a quality start - six innings pitched, three or less earned runs - from its pitching staff.

``I don't know what's happened to these guys,'' Tides manager Rick Dempsey said. ``We're getting into a lot of two-strike counts and then we don't throw the pitch that will finish it off.''

The Tides eventually clobbered four home runs, including shots by Roberto Petagine and Scott McClain, who are both among league leaders in that category. And those four homers accounted for all six Tides runs.

Petagine hit a two-run shot in the first inning that landed in the batter's eye, the black background screen beyond centerfield. The 450-foot shot was only the second home run in an International League game to hit the screen; Rochester's Tim Laker did it earlier this season.

It was Petagine's 12th of the season and matched his team-high total of last season. Columbus' Ivan Cruz leads the IL with 15.

McClain pounded his 11th of the season in the sixth inning, following a home run by Phil Geisler as the two went deep on back-to-back pitches. Those two clouts also marked the last two pitches Richmond starting pitcher Tommy Harrison would throw as he departed with the Braves holding a 9-6 lead.

Chamberlain had added a two-run homer in the fourth. It was Chamberlain's fourth home run of this current home stand, which is now six games old.

``Petagine's was way out, Chamberlain's was way out, Geisler's was like a jet taking off,'' said Richmond manager Bill Dancy. ``The only one that wasn't completely crushed was McClain's, and that was hit pretty good.''

``You'd think four home runs like that would be enough to win a game,'' Dempsey said.

Richmond added single runs in the fourth, fifth and eighth innings. But they could have stopped swinging the bats after the first.

The Tides (25-20) close out this home stand against West Division-leading Toledo (26-18). The Mud Hens had the last two days off, yet saw their lead grow from a half-game to 1 1/2 games over Norfolk as the Tides dropped two straight.

Hardtke said Toledo's presence could be good for the Tides' mental approach.

``You always want to win and try to win,'' he said. ``But when you can directly affect how you stand with them it helps you focus.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot

Tides catcher Charlie Greene tags out Richmond's Marty Malloy trying

to score on an attempted sacrifice fly.

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