Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, August 9, 1993 TAG: 9308090108
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
On a night their mugs were all over the ballpark, the Bucs didn't want to show their faces after being beaten 12-3 by the Durham Bulls.
In what amounted to an all-night batting practice session for Durham, the Bulls rocked six Salem pitchers for a season-high 18 hits in a Carolina League rout.
"It was just one of those nights," said Durham first baseman Doug Wollenburg, who paced the Bulls' barrage by knocking in four runs on four hits, including his fourth home run.
"We were hitting the ball good in BP [batting practice], and it just continued in the game," Wollenburg said. "It seems like we hit everybody they threw out there. We saw the ball and we hit it. It was that way for everyone of us. Boy, these nights are fun."
Unless you're on the other side. The Bucs (18-27), who fell behind Durham (19-26) into the second-half Southern Division basement, didn't do a whole lot right besides Marcus Hanel's two-run triple - his first of the season - in the seventh.
Out of the race and headed toward their 11th straight losing half, the Bucs again are planning early vacations. But manager Scott Little refuses to buy the notion that some of his guys could be calling off the season early.
"Oh, God, I don't think so," Little said. "We seem to play hard every night, and some nights we do the little things we're taught and work on. And sometimes we look like we don't belong on a level higher than rookie ball.
"I think the players are all aware that if you give up and play like crap, you might not be around next year. We just don't grasp the game the way we should. I don't know if that's lack of preparation by me. It could be."
Left-hander Sean Lawrence was lit up in his first start since being recalled from Class A Augusta. Lawrence fooled no one, getting punished for six runs and six hits in 1 2/3 innings.
Durham, which got five runs in the second to take a 7-0 lead, continued the assault against Lawrence's successors. Troy Mooney (four runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings) and Dennis Konuszewski (two runs and four hits in one inning) absorbed the worst shellackings.
Durham starter Chris Seelbach, who entered the night with an unimposing 4-9 record and 5.55 ERA, yielded four hits in 6 2/3 innings.
\ BUCSHOTS: Durham third baseman Phil Zimmerman hated to get on the bus after the game. Zimmerman, who had nine hits in 47 at-bats going into Sunday, went 4-for-5 and pushed his average from .191 to .250. . . . Despite the loss, Salem owns a 9-8 edge in the season series against Durham. The Bulls are the only club that Salem has a winning record against this season. . . . Former Virginia Tech star Brad Clontz mopped up for Durham. Clontz, whose statistics belie his 1-7 record, worked the ninth, striking out two and walking one. . . . The Bucs, who are 21-35 at home, play host to the Lynchburg Mets for a four-game series beginning tonight.
\ see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB