Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 13, 1990 TAG: 9005130235
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
On Saturday night at Municipal Field, Salem beat the Peninsula Pilots 6-3 in a Carolina League baseball game.
For the second night in a row, the Bucs rallied in the late innings to win. It marked the first time Salem has won consecutive games since the Bucs opened the season with four straight victories over the Prince William Cannons.
Salem starter Steve Buckholz pitched seven solid innings to record his first victory since beating the Frederick Keys on April 17. Salem relievers shut out the opposition for the second straight night.
"I was happy with it," said Buckholz. "It's about time I got back on the winning track. We've been pitching horribly lately. Everybody, including myself, is capable of doing better. Hopefully, this will help us get back to playing solid baseball like we were at the beginning of the season."
Except for yielding a two-run homer to Lash Bailey in the sixth, Buckholz made no major mistakes in improving his record to 3-2. He scattered six hits, walked three and struck out three.
Chip Duncan, who also had been struggling, relieved Buckholz in the eighth after the Salem starter gave up a leadoff single to Ron Pezzoni. Duncan gave up a single to Damon Saetre but then struck out Bailey and got Lem Pilkinton to hit into an inning-ending double play, preserving the Bucs' 6-3 lead.
Tom Deller pitched the ninth to record his second save in two nights.
"It was a long, bad streak, but all through it the pitchers never stopped working," said Chris Lein, the Bucs' pitching coach. "Tonight was a result of that work. That kind of pitching can be contagious, just like bad pitching can be contagious. This was a good game for the pitching staff."
The Bucs (13-18) trailed 1-0 after a half-inning, but third baseman Bruce Schreiber knotted the score by hitting his first homer of the season in the bottom of the first.
Peninsula (8-21) regained the lead in the sixth, when Buckholz hit Saetre with two out. Bailey then crushed a 3-2 pitch, driving it over the left-field wall to make the score 3-1.
Once again, the Bucs came back in the bottom of the inning, this time compliments of a two-run blast by Domingo Merejo.
Darwin Pennye led off the Salem seventh with his second double of the game. With one out, Rob Bailey walked. Then Greg Sims hit a smash to left side of the infield, but Pilots shortstop Jorge Robles was partially screened by the base umpire. The ball took a quick hop, hit Robles in the face and bounced into left field. Pennye scored from second on the play to give Salem the go-ahead run. A two-run triple by Mike Huyler in the eighth accounted for the final runs.
\ BUCSHOTS: Butch Schlopy (1-3) pitches for Salem against Jim Gutierrez (1-4) as the Bucs and Pilots conclude the four-game series at 2 p.m. today. PENINSULA SALEM ab r h bi ab r h bi Robles ss4110 Sims cf2011 Santana ss0000 Schreiber 3b4211 Pezzoni lf4020 Merejo dh4112 Saetre rf3120 Hines 1b4020 LBailey 1b2113 FWilliams pr0100 Pilkinton 3b3000 Shelton 1b0000 Campanis c4000 Romero c3000 Barbara dh3010 Estep rf3100 KThomas dh1010 Pennye lf4120 Tavares cf4000 Huyler ss4012 LWilliams 2b3000 RBailey 2b3000 Totals31 3 8 3 Totals 31 6 8 6
Peninsula100 002 000-3 Salem100 002 12X-6
E-L. Williams. DP-Peninsula 1, Salem 1. LOB-Peninsula 5, Salem 6. 2B-K. Thomas, Pennye 2. 3B-Huyler. HR-L. Bailey (4), Schreiber (1), Merejo (4). SB-Hines (1), Robles (4). SF-L. Bailey. IP HRERBBSO Peninsula Darwin L, 0-4 664432 Loe 122213 Salem Buckholz W, 3-2 763333 Duncan 110001 Deller S, 3 110001
Buckholz pitched to one batter in the eighth.
HBP-Saetre by Buckholz. WP-Darwin.
Umpires-Vestal, Langley, Irvin.
T-2:39. A-1,057.
by CNB