DATE: Thursday, June 5, 1997                TAG: 9706050669

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   68 lines

HOT-HITTING TIDES DOWN SCRANTON-WB RASH OF HOMERS MADE THEIR TYPICALLY POOR BASE RUNNING A WALK IN THE PARK.

Even as the Norfolk Tides were charging to the top of the International League West Division in the last week, manager Rick Dempsey was constantly bemoaning their sloppy base-running.

The Tides found a solution for that problem Wednesday night at Harbor Park.

Instead of running, they trotted.

Norfolk scored its first five runs by way of the home run, then actually ran the bases well in the later innings to complete a 14-7 victory over the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons at Harbor Park. It was the Tides' ninth win in 11 games.

Todd Pratt delivered a two-run homer into the picnic area beyond leftfield in the first inning, Jason Hardtke had a two-run shot off the rightfield scoreboard in the fifth and Scott McClain unloaded a solo shot off the leftfield scoreboard in the sixth.

``We've got five or six guys who can hit it out at any time,'' said McClain. ``And Jason Hardtke's got a lot of power for a little guy.''

That little guy had a very big night, going 5-for-6 with three doubles and the home run, his sixth this season, to raise his average from .288 to .303.

``The saying for a long time is that hitting is contagious,'' said the 5-foot-10, 175-pound second baseman. ``Everyone saw everybody else hitting tonight and it snowballed.''

The three Tides home runs ended a three-game long-ball drought.

Pratt's and Hardtke's homers came off Scranton starting pitcher Carlton Loewer. McClain welcomed reliever Ryan Hawblitzel's first pitch with his 13th homer of the season, giving the Tides a 5-4 lead.

The Tides then started racing around the bases. Hardtke drilled a two-out double off the fence in right in the sixth and scored when Benny Agbayani singled through the left side. Agbayani then scored when he stole second, Scranton catcher Bobby Estalella threw the ball into centerfield and Agbayani motored home before centerfielder Wendell Magee could retrieve the ball.

Pratt then doubled to left and Roberto Petagine was intentionally walked. Wes Chamberlain singled to right to welcome reliever Craig Holman to score Pratt, then Phil Geisler drilled a two-run double to left for a 10-4 lead.

``I'm still not real happy with the base running,'' Dempsey said. ``Until they go five or six games without a base-running error, they're going to hear it when they come back to the dugout. That's just my nature.

Scranton had scored its first four runs off Keith Shepherd, who lasted only 4 1/3 innings, the first time a Tides starter failed to turn in a quality start (minimum six innings pitched, three or fewer earned runs). The Red Barons added an unearned run off Jeff Tam in the seventh and two more runs off Yorkis Perez in the eighth.

Brian Edmondson pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief after Shepherd for his first Triple-A victory and Jim Dougherty pitched the last two innings for his first save of the season.

Norfolk (34-23) added four runs in the eighth when Dougherty's base-loaded ground ball was mishandled by Scranton shortstop Doug Angeli, allowing two runs, and Hardtke followed with a two-run double to left.

``It's great to see Hardtke come alive in the leadoff spot,'' Dempsey said. ``What a night he had.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

LAWRENCE JACKSON/The Virginian-Pilot

Catcher Todd Pratt was one of three Tides to homer in Wednesday

night's rout of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Photo

Norfolk catcher Todd Pratt and Scranton's Jose Flores collide in a

fifth-inning play. Flores was called safe.

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