Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 3, 1990 TAG: 9006030177
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Salem Buccaneers gave up 20 hits, committed six errors, blew a seven-run lead and lost to the Prince William Cannons 17-13 Saturday night in Carolina League baseball at Municipal Field.
Salem (20-32) led 10-3 after four innings, but couldn't hold on as a combination of poor fielding by the Bucs and timely hitting by the Cannons (24-28) allowed Prince William to score 14 runs in the final five innings.
"We were down 6-1 and 10-3," said Gary Denbo, the Cannons' manager. "You don't expect to come back from that kind of deficit. You have to be pleased when you do something like that."
The Bucs appeared to be in good shape after Darwin Pennye and Domingo Merejo each hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning. But an error by right fielder Chris Estep allowed Prince William to score three unearned runs off Salem starter Tim McDowell in the top of the fifth to cut the margin to 10-6.
The worst was yet to come.
Chip Duncan came on to pitch the sixth for the Bucs, and second baseman Rob Bailey booted a grounder by Mauricio Zazueta. Paul Oster hit a one-out single, then Dave Silvestri, a 1988 U.S. Olympian, took Duncan deep to left for a three-run homer as the Cannons closed to 10-9.
Merejo, who was 4-for-4 and drove in six runs, extended Salem's advantage with his second two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth.
But the Bucs had more gifts to give.
In the seventh, Jason Bridges hit a one-out triple. After Duncan struck out Zazueta, shortstop Mike Huyler couldn't handle a grounder by Brad Ausmus and Bridges scored. Huyler's error proved more costly when Oster followed with a single. Silvestri, who came into the game with a .228 average and one home run, took Duncan deep again for a three-run blast that gave Prince William a 13-12 lead.
The Bucs tied it in the bottom of the inning when Huyler scored from first on a two-out double by Pennye (3-for-4).
However, the Bucs stopped there while the Cannons kept firing.
Butch Schlopy relieved Duncan to start the eighth and retired the first batter he faced, but then gave up six consecutive hits as Prince William scored four runs to go up 17-13.
Art Canestro (2-4) pitched 1 innings to pick up the victory in relief, and James Moody retired all five Bucs he faced to close for the Cannons.
\ BUCSHOTS: Mike Pomeranz (2-3 with a 4.73 ERA) will make his first start for the Bucs as they meet the Cannons tonight for the final time in the first half of the season.
PRINCE WILLIAM SALEM ab r h bi ab r h bi Oster cf6233 Pennye cf4233 Silvestri ss5325 Schreiber 3b4320 Snow 1b6221 Merejo lf4346 Obando lf4111 Hines dh5000 Davis 3b6121 Romero c5121 Erhardt dh4010 Estep rf4211 Hernandez dh2120 Shelton 1b5010 Bridges rf5342 Huyler ss5110 Zazueta 2b5221 Bailey 2b3101 Ausmus c5210 Totals48 17 20 14 Totals 39 13 14 12
Prince William001 233 440-17 Salem114 402 100-13
E-Zazueta, Estep 3, Huyler, Schreiber, Bailey. LOB-Prince William 9, Salem 4. 2B-Pennye 2, Schreiber 2, Merejo, Romero, Huyler, Oster, Davis, Zazueta. 3B-Estep, Bridges. HR-Silvestri 2 (3), Merejo 2 (8), Pennye (6). SB-Pennye (8), Bailey (5), Merejo (8). SF-Bailey, Obando. IP HRERBBSO Prince William Marris 378820 Ralph 264415 Canestro W, 2-4 111000 Moody 100003 Salem McDowell 566233 Duncan 277303 Schlopy L, 1-4 164401 Honeywell 110000
HBP-Bailey by Marris, Merejo by Canestro. WP-Marris.
Umpires-Home, Lehner; bases, Kraus.
T-3:30. A-1,996.
by CNB