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

DATE: SATURDAY, April 13, 1991                   TAG: 9104130283
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BUCS' RELIEF SOLID, BUT TOO LATE TO HELP

The good news for Salem Buccaneers manager Stan Cliburn is that he's finding out he has some capable relief pitchers. The bad news is the information is coming at the expense of his starting pitchers.

Friday night, Bucs relievers Ron Way, David Bird and Mike Zimmerman held Winston-Salem scoreless on four hits over the final seven innings.

By then, however, the Spirits already had roughed up two Salem pitchers for all the runs they would need for an 11-3 Carolina League baseball victory in front of 5,534 at Municipal Field.

"I hate to lose," said Cliburn, "but I'm finding out some things early that I needed to know. The bullpen was a question coming into the season. [The performance of Way, Bird and Zimmerman] is something positive that you can take out of a game like this."

Winston-Salem (2-0) jumped on Bucs starter Rich Robertson for three runs on two hits and four walks in the first inning. The Spirits put away the game with an eight-run second inning, including a grand slam by center fielder Jerrone Williams off reliever Dave Watson.

"I think Rich was a little intimidated," said Cliburn. "I could see it in his warmup pitches. I knew if he got off to a shaky start we would be in trouble. Runs can accumulate quickly in this ball park."

Robertson, whose professional experience was limited to short-season play, walked Williams to start the game, and things got worse.

He faced nine batters in the first inning and was replaced by Watson after the first three reached in the second inning. Robertson was charged with six runs and walked five in one inning of work.

Watson didn't fare any better. He faced nine in the second, giving up four hits and five earned runs.

Robertson and Watson combined for seven walks, resulting in four runs.

Salem third baseman Kevin Young paced the Bucs with two hits and two RBI. The Bucs had 11 hits but stranded nine.

\ BUCSHOTS: The Bucs finally kept Spirits right fielder John Jensen off base when he grounded out to second baseman Austin Manahan in the sixth inning. In two games, he is 6-for-7 and has reached base eight of the nine times he has gone to bat. . . . Bucs right-hander Paul Wagner goes against Sean Cheetham as the teams continue their four-game series tonight.

see microfilm for box score

Keywords:
BASEBALL

by CNB