DATE: Monday, August 18, 1997               TAG: 9708180169

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY CLYDE HUGHES, CORRESPONDENT 

DATELINE: MAUMEE, OHIO                      LENGTH:   68 lines

TIDES INCREASE LEAD WITH PAIR OF VICTORIES AFTER NORFOLK WINS SUSPENDED GAME, PETAGINE'S 30TH HR OF THE YEAR DECIDES THE SECOND CONTEST.

Norfolk padded its lead in the International League West with two wins over the Toledo Mud Hens on Sunday at Skeldon Stadium.

The Tides grabbed the suspended game 3-1, and Roberto Petagine's home run in the eighth inning lifted Norfolk to a 4-3 win in the regularly scheduled contest.

Norfolk's wins, coupled with Columbus' loss to Richmond on Sunday, gave the Tides a two-game lead as Norfolk heads into Ohio's state capital for a three-game series. The Clippers swept Norfolk the last time the Tides were in town in July.

``These were two big wins for us,'' said Norfolk manager Rick Dempsey. ``The way we played in Columbus last time, we need all the wins we can get. We got a couple of great performances on the mound today.''

Jim Dougherty held Toledo to one hit over the last three innings in the suspended game to preserve the win for Shannon Withem.

Norfolk jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning of the regular game but needed Petagine's 30th homer of the year to win. The home run broke Randy Milligan's 10-year-old club record of 29.

The two losses dimmed Toledo's playoff chances. The Mud Hens dropped 5 1/2 games behind Norfolk and behind Columbus and Charlotte for the last playoff spot.

``We keep shooting ourselves in the foot,'' said Toledo manager Gene Roof. ``You have to win these games at home and these young men have to understand that. Sure, Norfolk had some great pitching today, but you have to find a way to win at home, especially when something like (playoffs) are on the line.''

In the regulation game, the Tides jumped on starter Denny Harriger for three runs in the first.

With the count 0-2, Harriger hit leadoff batter Ramon Espinosa. Kevin Morgan followed with a double to score Espinosa.

With two outs, Scott McClain's ground-rule double to right scored Morgan and Tate Seefried's single plated McClain.

Harriger gave up one hit after the first inning, blanking Norfolk over the next six innings.

Toledo slowly fought back to get into the game. Scott Makarewicz singled, reached second on a passed ball and scored on Adam Rodriguez's single to center in the second inning.

Kimera Bartee doubled, went to third on Ray Holbert's infield single and scored on Jimmy Hurst's double-play grounder to trim the deficit to 3-2.

Frank Catalanotto tied the game for Toledo in the seventh inning with his 15th home run of the season. The ball bounced off the right field foul-pole screen.

But Petagine ripped Rick Greene's pitch in the eighth inning, nearly in the same location, to put Norfolk back ahead 4-3.

``He's been like a rock for us all year long,'' Dempsey said of Petagine. ``He should be MVP of this league. He made himself an excellent hitter this season and has come up with all the clutch hits for us.''

In the suspended game, the Tides added an insurance run in the ninth inning off reliever John Rosengren. McClain singled, advanced to second on Michael Moore's fielder's choice grounder and scored on Phil Giesler two-out single to left.

It was McClain's second hit and run of the game. He hit a home run off starter Mike Drumright in the seventh inning on Saturday to give Norfolk a 2-1 lead when the game was suspended because of lightning.

NOTES: Norfolk's pitching staff went into Sunday with a 3.91 ERA, second to Rochester's 3.87. . . . Espinosa and Moore had their hitting streaks snapped at five games. . . . Saturday's game was Norfolk's first suspended game this season.

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