Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 13, 1990 TAG: 9007130269
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After seeing his earned run average balloon to near nine at the end of the first half of the Carolina League baseball season, Duncan had begun to lower it but still hadn't had a big effort to prove to himself that things were getting better.
Thursday night at Municipal Field, Duncan got it.
Taking advantage of a new, side-arm pitching motion, Duncan struck out eight batters in three innings to pick up the victory in the Bucs' 14-11 win over the Lynchburg Red Sox.
Duncan (2-3) got off to a shaky start when he relieved Mike Pomeranz in the seventh with Red Sox on the corners and Salem clinging to a 11-9 lead. He allowed one run on a wild pitch and gave up a game-tying single to Mickey Rivers.
Instead of buckling, however, Duncan got tough. The 24-year-old right-hander, who is spending his third season in Salem, closed out the seventh. After the Bucs regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, Duncan struck out five of the final six batters.
The change in Duncan's effectiveness coincides with the addition of a side-arm delivery to his usual overhand motion, a suggestion offered by Bucs catcher Tim Hines.
"We [Hines and Duncan] talked about it right at the beginning of the second half," Duncan said. "The fastball has gotten good movement, and I have a good slider with it. It's harder for the batter to pick up the ball. I'm going to stay with it as long as it keeps working."
Although the victory improved their record to just 7-13, the Bucs stand only a 1 1/2 games behind Northern Division leaders Prince William and Frederick. The entire division is under .500.
Lynchburg (8-12) jumped to a 5-0 lead after the first inning but gradually let Salem back into the contest. Three Red Sox pitchers combined for 14 walks.
Trailing 9-5, the Bucs rallied for six runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Walks to Ben Shelton, Glen McNabb and Rob Bailey loaded the bases. After Bruce Schreiber brought in a run on a ground out, Mandy Romero walked. Hines, the designated hitter for this game, drove in three with a triple to tie the score. Darwin Pennye tripled in Hines. A Lynchburg error allowed Pennye to score and the Bucs led 11-9.
After Lynchburg tied it in the seventh, Bailey walked in the bottom of the inning. Schreiber drove him home with a double and Hines hit a two-run homer to make it 14-11.
LYNCHBURG SALEM ab r h bi ab r h bi Byrd ss5010 Sims cf4000 Powers 2b5231 Schreiber 3b5222 Blosser rf4112 Romero c2211 Williams 2b5210 Hines dh3225 Tatum 1b4120 Pennye lf4321 Whitehead 3b5221 Trusky rf2110 Wallin 1b2100 Shelton 1b4122 Hanks ph1000 McNabb 2b3101 Malzone ph1010 Bailey ss1200 Perozo lf4133 Rivers cf4122 Totals40 11 16 9 Totals 29 14 10 12
Lynchburg500 112 200-11 Salem022 016 30X-14
E-Estrada, Powers, Byrd. DP-Lynchburg 2. LOB-Lynchburg 6, Salem 7. 2B-Schreiber, Powers, Whitehead, Rivers. 3B-Perozo 2, Schreiber, Hines, Pennye. HR-Hines (6), Blosser (12). SB-Bailey (11), Tatum (9). SF-Rivers, McNabb. IP HRERBBSO Lynchburg Estrada 5676104 Brown 24220 Stange L, 0-2 223323 Salem McDowell 5119938 Pomeranz 12220 Duncan W, 2-3 340008
Pomeranz faced two batter in seventh.
W-McDowell, Pomeranz, Duncan, Estrada. PB-Romero.
Umpires-Home, Vestal; bases, Stone, Langley.
T-3:59. A-815.
by CNB