DATE: Thursday, June 26, 1997               TAG: 9706260577

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PAUL SOKOLOSKI, CORRESPONDENT 

DATELINE: MOOSIC, PA.                       LENGTH:   44 lines

CRAWFORD HELPS TIDES END FOUR-GAME SLIDE THE NORFOLK STARTER KEPT THE RED BARONS OFF BALANCE IN SEVEN SHUTOUT INNINGS.

After four consecutive losses, Norfolk manager Rick Dempsey gathered his Tides for a pregame message. He simply said, ``Relax.''

And for Joe Crawford, that was the magic word.

Crawford shut out the Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre Red Barons over seven innings Wednesday as Norfolk escaped with a 2-1 victory at Lackawanna County Stadium.

``I had a real rough start against these guys last time,'' said Crawford (8-2), who was tagged for seven runs in two innings during Norfolk's 8-7 victory June 5. ``I kind of got embarrassed. I knew I was better than I was pitching.''

He showed it Wednesday.

On a humid, 83-degree night, Crawford struck out nine and left the game with a 2-0 lead after seven innings.

``That last time, he was kind of a thrower,'' Red Barons manager Marc Bombard said. ``He pitched tonight. He was mixing in the slider, breaking ball and great changeup. He kept us off-balance all night.''

Todd Pratt doubled to open the Norfolk fourth inning and later scored when Wes Chamberlain grounded into a double play as the Tides took a 1-0 lead.

They didn't get any more against Ryan Hawblitzel, who surrendered just that one run over his seven innings of work, but Crawford didn't need much help.

He stranded Desi Relaford at third base by inducing Wendell Magee Jr.'s inning-ending pop out in the third. And after Magee Jr. singled and stole second base in the sixth, Crawford responded by fanning cleanup man Tony Barron and dangerous Bobby Estalella.

``It's really special for everybody,'' Crawford said. ``Everybody played well.''

Chamberlain tripled high off the centerfield wall in the ninth inning, then scored an insurance run on Phil Geisler's single. That proved big in the bottom of the inning, when the Red Barons filled the bases with Doug Angeli's two-out single to right field and infield hits by Jose Flores and Eric Fox.

Darren Burton then drew a walk off Jimmy Myers, forcing home Angeli and putting the potential winning run at second base. But Jim Dougherty nailed down his second save when Relaford lined to center, ending the game.

``We needed that,'' Dempsey said. ``Crawford pitched a heck of a ballgame. You don't want to get on a tailspin.''

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