Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, June 17, 1993                   TAG: 9306170203
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GRAND SLAM SINKS BUCS

Instead, the Durham Bulls outfielder got caught in a left-hander vs. left-hander switch. Williams had to face Jason Christiansen down one run with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning Thursday before 4,868 Municipal Field patrons. It didn't work out as poorly as Williams might have expected.

Christiansen, relieving Loaiza who had pitched brilliantly through eight innings, delivered an outside fastball. Williams turned on it and in one stroke turned the game around. Grand slam.

Dirk Blair yielded one hit in the bottom of the inning for the save and the Bulls had a 4-1 Carolina League victory to salvage the last of a four-game set with the Bucs.

"The fastball was on the outside corner and I was just trying to go with it," said Williams, who has five homers. "I've been hitting lefties pretty good this season, but I really would have preferred seeing the right-hander."

Loaiza no doubt deserved better after scattering nine hits and inducing 13 groundball outs, including three double plays. By the start of the ninth, he'd thrown 86 pitches and there was no question he was going to be given a shot at going for what would have been his club-leading third complete game.

Vince Moore led off by fisting a 2-2 pitch over second base and manager Scott Little came to the mound for a lengthy consultation.

"I was contemplating taking him out, but he'd thrown the ball well and I wanted to give him the opportunity to win," Little said.

Pedro Swann walked and Manny Jiminez reached on what was scored as an infield hit to load the bases. In came Christiansen.

Bucs pitching coach Dave Rajsich took a "that's-baseball" approach to the ending.

"There's an old saying: You stop giving up home runs and you've stopped playing," he said.

Ken Bonifay's fourth-inning solo shot for Salem had been the difference until the ninth.

Durham starter Jerry Koller had been nearly as tough as Loaiza, giving up only four other hits through eight.

"I was just hoping for the no-decision, but the grand slam was fine with me," he said.

\ BUCSHOTS: Salem's Tony Womack saw his 12-game hitting streak severed when he went 0-for-4. . . . The Bucs clinched their 10th consecutive losing half-season in the league standings. . . . Salem's Mike Brown extended an eight-game hitting streak, but was charged with one error and had another on Jiminez's bunt that could have gone either way. \

see microfilm for box score

Keywords:
BASEBALL