Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 14, 1993 TAG: 9305140207
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
That's how long it took before Marty Neff punched a pitch from David Welch off the top of the wall in left-center field at Municipal Field to slay the Kinston Indians 3-2 and send 795 groggy customers home happy Thursday night.
"If this was basketball, the rim was good to us on that one," said Salem slugger Mike Brown, out of the lineup for the night.
Salem took two of three from the Indians to close out the homestand and stay in a second-place tie with Kinston in the Southern Division of the Carolina League standings. Both are a half-game behind the Winston-Salem Spirits, who were rained out at Durham.
"I don't know whether it was a changeup or what," Neff said of Welch's 0-2 delivery. "It had a kind of funky motion on it. I was looking for a fastball outside and I got out in front a little bit."
Salem (16-16) had a harrowing ride to reach that stage, particularly in the last three innings. Kinston stranded a man on third in the 10th and 12th, and left the bases loaded in the 13th. Kevin Rychel, the sixth Salem pitcher, worked the last two innings to gain the victory, then bolted for the shower to soothe an overheated constitution.
"Gosh, I tell you," he said. "Infield base hits; a guy gets on I think is out; the ball hops over third base for another hit - there's nothing you can do."
Rychel fanned Juan Andujar with the bases loaded on a 3-2 slider in the 13th.
"A 3-2 slider with the bases loaded in the 13th?" Salem manager Scott Little said as his eyes widened. "I guess he kept being able to get that pitch over."
Salem, which now has won three of its past four and 10 of 13, moved to 6-10 at home.
The Bucs got off to a great start with three straight hits leading off against Fernando Hernandez. Ken Bonifay's two-run double staked the Bucs to a 2-0 lead that stood until the sixth. Kinston got a pair against a tiring Doug Harrah, making his first start after arriving from Class AA Carolina, and reliever Matt Ruebel.
And the deadlock was on. Hernandez made it all the way through the eighth, shutting down the Bucs on three hits after the initial uprising.
\ BUCSHOTS: Brown was out of the lineup with a sore right ankle, sprained Tuesday night against Kinston. He's day-to-day. . . . The home run was Neff's league-leading 11th. . . . Tony Womack continued to make things happen at the top of the order. He went 3-for-5 with a triple, a bunt single and two steals. The thefts were his 13th and 14th to lead the league. . . . Keith Thomas, batting cleanup, struck out six times, tying him with John Crawford of the 1979 Kinston team for second-most in a game in league history. Thomas Epperly of the 1972 Lynchburg team had seven to lead all in that category of futility. . . . The Bucs get their first look at Prince William starting tonight and continuing through the weekend at the Cannons' ballpark. Mario De los Santos (3-1, 4.06 ERA) pitches for the Bucs against Prince William's Matt Williams (2-2, 3.03). Salem then goes to Lynchburg for four games before returning.
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB