THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 6, 1996 TAG: 9604060432
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Kevin Morgan singled home two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and Joe Ausanio retired Toledo's last five batters as the Norfolk Tides picked up their first victory of the season, a 4-2 triumph Friday night at Harbor Park.
Both then extended their apologies to teammates.
Morgan apologized to the pitching staff for the Tides' lack of offense in the season's first two games.
``This pitching staff definitely deserves to be 2-0,'' Morgan said one night after a 1-0 loss in 15 innings. ``We promise the support will be there.''
Ausanio extended an olive branch to starting pitcher Mike Gardiner, who after a shaky start struck out 10 and left after six innings with a 2-1 lead.
It looked like Gardiner would pick up the win until Ausanio bounced a forkball past catcher Alberto Castillo with two out in the top of the eighth with runners on second and third, allowing Toledo's Shannon Penn to score.
Penn, pinch running for Micah Franklin, who had walked, stole second and third. Phil Hiatt walked then stole second off reliever Brian Bark.
Ausanio came on and coaxed Tim Hyers to pop up in foul territory along third base. He had a 1-2 count on No. 9 hitter Fausto Cruz when the forkball got away from him.
``I saw Cruz a couple times last year when he was with Oakland,'' said Ausanio, who at the time was with the New York Yankees. ``I knew if I threw a good quality forkball down, the worst that would happen would be he'd hit a ground ball.''
Ausanio retired Cruz on the next pitch, a fastball on the outside corner.
Toledo scored its other run in the first. Duane Singleton opened with an infield hit up the middle and reached second on shortstop Luis Rivera's wild throw to first. Singleton reached third on a wild pitch by Gardiner and scored on a bloop single to shallow right by Steve Rodriguez.
Ausanio traded in the blown save for a victory when Morgan grounded through the left side of a drawn-in infield with the bases loaded, the ball just escaping Cruz's glove. Alex Ochoa had singled with one out to start the rally and Kevin Flora followed with a double to left. After Mike Guilfoyle intentionally walked Roberto Petagine, Brian Maxcy came on to face Morgan.
Norfolk scored in the first when Gary Thurman led off with a walk, stole second, reached third on a fielder's choice and raced home on a wild pitch.
The Tides took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Petagine doubled, and Alberto Castillo hit a bouncer to Toledo starter C.J. Nitkowski, whose throw pulled Tony Clark off first base. Clark dropped the ball while sweep-tagging Castillo. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo MOTOYA NAKAMURA/The Virginian-Pilot
The Tides' Shawn Gilbert slides into second base with a
second-inning double, barely beating the throw from Toledo
centerfielder Duane Singleton to shortstop Fausto Cruz, left.
by CNB