Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 13, 1990 TAG: 9004130928
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
So, during spring training this year, Duncan and the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization decided they needed to make a few changes.
With the help of Bucs pitching coach Chris Lein, Duncan revamped his pitching delivery.
If Duncan's performance Thursday night in Salem's 8-4 season-opening victory over the Prince William Cannons is any indication, Duncan and Lein are on to something.
With Salem leading 6-4 at Municipal Field, Duncan kept the Cannons off balance over the final four innings with an active fastball and a biting breaking pitch to pick up a save and help the Bucs start the 1990 season with a win.
"I felt real good," said Duncan, who gave up one run and three hits. "I worked on my mechanics all during spring training. Last year, I was always falling forward, and my arm couldn't catch up. They broke me down and had me start over."
Lein said it was just re-teaching Duncan what he already knew.
"We've allowed him to go back to doing what he was before he joined the Pirates' organization," Lein said. "The main thing is he's comfortable and confident. If a pitcher is fighting his delivery, it corollates directly to the effectiveness of his pitches."
Duncan took over for starter Steve Buckholz (1-0), who overcame a rocky first inning when he yielded three runs on four hits. He held the Cannons scoreless over the next four innings to pick up the win.
Trailing 3-0 after 3 1/2 innings, the Bucs took advantage of walks and Prince William mistakes to get back into the game.
Cannons starter Cullen Hartzog walked three of the first four Bucs, and, with one out and the bases loaded, Mike Huyler drove in Keith Raisanen with a sacrifice fly.
Then Glen McNabb hit a high fly to short right field that dropped between Prince William second baseman Mauricio Zazueta and right fielder Dave Howell, scoring Mandy Romero and Ben Shelton.
Greg Sims followed with a triple to center to drive in McNabb and put Salem up 4-3.
"Three walks in that inning and miscommunication on that fly ball," said Prince William manager Gary Denbo. "You can't make those type of mistakes against a team like Salem."
The Bucs went up 6-3 in the fifth when Romero scored Chris Estep with a two-out triple. Romero scored on a single by Huyler.
Darwin Pennye hit Salem's third triple of the game in the sixth inning and made the score 7-3 when he crossed the plate on a wild pitch by Cannons reliever Curtis Ralph.
"These guys are going to run until I tell them to stop," said Stan Cliburn, the Bucs' manager. "Every base they come to they're looking for the next. We won't run ourselves out of an inning, but if we keep that aggressiveness, you'll see a lot of extra-base hits out of this team."
Bucshots: Salem will pitch left-hander Butch Schlopy against right-hander Ed Martel when the Bucs and Cannons continue their four-game series tonight.
\ PRINCE WILLIAM SALEM ab r h bi ab r h bi Zazueta 2b5120 Sims cf4121 Silvestri ss3110 Schreiber 3b5000 Snow 1b4001 Pennye lf4111 Obando lf5110 Raisanen dh3100 Howell rf4131 Estep rf4100 Davis 3b4010 Romero c3221 Weeks dh4012 Shelton 1b2100 Ausmus c4010 Huyler ss3022 Oster cf4010 McNabb 2b3112 Totals37 4 11 4 Totals 31 8 8 7
Pr. William300 000 010-4 Salem000 421 010-8
E-Silvestri, Zazueta, McNabb. DP- Salem 1. LOB-Prince William 8, Salem 7. 2B-Howell. 3B-Zazueta, Sims, Pennye, Romero. SB-Sims (1). IP HRERBBSO Pr. William Hartzog L, 0-1 434443 Ralph 233332 Moody 221003 Salem Buckholz W, 1-0 583313 Duncan S, 1 431122
WP-Buckholz, Ralph. Balk-Duncan.
Umpires-Home, Barket; bases, York.
T-2:55. A-1,496.
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB