ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 14, 1996 TAG: 9604160026
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
FREDERICK WEATHERS a storm and pushes across a late run to win 5-4.
Saturday night's proceedings at Memorial Stadium could almost be thought of as two baseball games.
Taken together, the result was a 5-4 Carolina League victory for the Frederick Keys over the Salem Avalanche.
There was much more to it than that, though. The first 3 1/2 innings were packed with action of all descriptions, not to mention seven runs. The last 5 1/2 innings were a bit more subdued, but that's when the game was settled..
But that's getting away from the story of the most dramatic of the evening's events for an audience of 2,271. A storm blew up just as the Avalanche was coming to bat in the fourth inning.
The arrival of the front was announced by a quick and ominous blackening of the western sky. Within an instant, rain was blowing on a horizontal plane, fans were fleeing for the concourse beneath the grandstand, and mustard-stained papers and other debris were being picked up and blown to the heavens.
The groundskeepers were challenged at every turn in their efforts to cover the field. The tarp, acting like a huge sail or parachute, appeared on several occasions to be preparing to lift off and take flight, but the intrepid (and soon to be drenched) crew stayed after it.
After order was restored, the casualty count included a dislocated thumb for one tarp puller and another temporarily stunned groundskeeper who had been picked up and flung to the ground while trying to hold on to the edge of the violently flapping tarp.
That cost the game 55 minutes. Salem had been down 4-0, but it completed a comeback to forge a tie right after the return from the rain delay. Mike Higgins had stroked a two-out single and then Chan Mayber, the No.9 batter in the order, had coaxed a walk out of Frederick starter Jason Rogers, setting up a run-scoring single up the middle by Elvis Pena.
Pena, a switch hitter who had been hitting .167 coming in, turned around and hit from the left side and went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and a couple scored.
``It's nice when you're going bad from one side to be able to turn it around and give it a try from the other side,'' Salem manager Bill McGuire said.
Pena had been out of the lineup for three nights, his usual station at second base occupied by Eric Young, in Salem on an injury rehabilitation assignment from the Colorado Rockies. Pena acted as though he didn't take the benching well, the nothing-personal nature of it notwithstanding.
``I don't blame him for being angry,'' Frederick manager Tim Blackwell said. ``He came out there and played like he felt like he had something to prove.''
Most of the Salem rally had taken place in the third. Runs scored on consecutive at bats as Pena singled, Kyle Houser grounded out as a run scored, and John Giudice whistled his first home run of the year over the left field fence.
The Keys came back to take control for good in the sixth. David Dellucci led off with a walk, moved around to third on a balk and groundout, then scored on a grounder to first.
Pitcher Mike Trimarco made that stand up through the last 42/3 innings, an expanse that he negotiated without surrendering a run. Robert Morseman came on with two outs in the ninth to get the last out.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 67 linesby CNB