THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, August 5, 1996 TAG: 9608050125
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE NEWMAN, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: OTTAWA LENGTH: 37 lines
The Norfolk Tides let slip their opportunity in the eighth inning Sunday. The Ottawa Lynx didn't, and took a 4-2 International League win.
Scott Coolbaugh's two-out, two-run double over the head of centerfielder Gary Thurman was the big blow as Ottawa kept the Tides, one game behind Columbus in the IL West, from gaining ground.
``I got behind in the count and I got the ball up,'' Rogers said.
Coolbaugh's first game-winning hit with the Lynx also comes in a season that he's trying to salvage after being released by Japan's Hansin Tigers.
``I just want to play solid baseball,'' said Coolbaugh, a former Texas Ranger teammate of Tides manager Bobby Valentine. ``Then I'd like to stick around until (major league) expansion. You never know what can happen then.''
Norfolk's chance to take the lead in the eighth came when Roberto Petagine cracked his second double of the game and reached third on catcher Raul Chavez's wild pickoff attempt.
But Petagine got no farther as Lynx reliever Dave Leiper (2-0) got out of the jam, striking out Luis Rivera and pinch-hitter Shawn Gilbert.
Scoring started in the first inning when Tides second baseman Jason Hardtke tripled and scored on Benny Agbayani's two-out single.
In the fifth, Norfolk starter Shannon Withem gave up a pair of singles and wild-pitched the runners over, then Rob Lukyachyk lined a single over shortstop for a 2-1 Ottawa advantage.
The next inning Norfolk tied the score at 2 when Terrell Lowery drilled a double off the rightfield wall, Rivera walked and Chris Howard doubled off the leftfield wall against Lynx starter Everett Stull. Both teams rapped out 10 hits.
The teams play a sixth game in the four-day series tonight, with Tides righthander Mike Gardiner (9-2, 2.74) going against Lynx righty Ben Rivera (3-7, 5.97). by CNB