Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 22, 1993 TAG: 9305220220
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Somehow, some way, though, Wilson slithered out of all kinds of early trouble to settle down for the next six innings - due time for the Bucs' hitters to earn their keep. Salem went on to spike the Cannons 11-5 in a Carolina League game at Municipal Field witnessed by 3,386 chilly customers.
"He didn't have anything," Salem manager Scott Little said. "But he does have a little savvy and he knows what he's doing out there."
Quite so. After yielding a walk, a wild pitch, and three hits, including Doug Posada's three-run homer, Wilson gathered himself to the extent that he gave up only a solo home run the rest of the way. During his difficult confrontations with a Prince William lineup that featured six left-handed bats, he scattered six hits, struck out three and walked three to improve to 4-0.
"I just wasn't in a good rhythm," he said. "I didn't have my good stuff tonight. I was fortunate that we scored so many runs. You've got to take your breaks when you can get them in this game."
The breaks that came Wilson's way were mostly of the Bucs' manufacture. Salem had 15 hits, the majority of them coming from the lower part of the order. Batting in the 6-9 slots, Keith Thomas, Joe Ronca, Angelo Encarnacion, and Kevin Polcovich were a combined 8-for-15 with seven runs scored and five driven in. Encarnacion had two hits, scored twice, and had three RBI.
"I saw that guy [left-handed starter Tom Carter] at Prince William and I knew what he was going to throw me," Encarnacion said. "He threw me nothing but fastballs so I was thinking fastball tonight."
Salem battled back immediately, slicing the Cannons' lead to one run on Ken Bonifay's two-run homer in the bottom of the first.
"I was kind of worried [after Prince William's three-run first inning]," said Bonifay, who finished with three RBI. "I heard they hit the ball well and we haven't been scoring many runs at all lately."
Salem scored three more in the second and never looked back. The biggest inning was the fifth when the Bucs had five hits in six at-bats to plate four runs.
"We've been hitting, but not putting them together in bunches," Little said. "We did tonight."
\ BUCSHOTS: Tony Womack wreaked plenty of havoc at the top of the Salem order with three hits including a triple, two steals, two runs scored, and an RBI. . . . Mike Brown went 0-for-4 and visited Little to request some early batting practice today. "We have 15 hits and I didn't get a one," he said. . . . Jon Farrell continues to recuperate from a broken finger. He said Thursday the finger felt "OK." That's not good enough for Little and trainer Tiny Zick. "He's not going in there until he's well," Little said. . . . The Bucs stole six bases, including the first each for Ronca and Polcovich. Thomas had two. Womack has 19 for the year as he battles Curtis Goodwin of Frederick for the league lead. . . . Wilson was commended for handling the three switch hitters in the Cannons' lineup. "You don't often see that at this level," Salem pitching coach Dave Rajsich said. "That's a good experience for him."
by CNB