Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 25, 1993 TAG: 9305250315
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Bucs attacked their guests from North Carolina with a nasty little bag of weapons and thumped them 5-1 Monday night in a Carolina League baseball game before a mellow audience of 928 at Municipal Field.
Given a rare day off after a Saturday night injury, Tony Womack returned to the Salem lineup with the look of a man bent on making up for lost working hours. Batting in his usual leadoff slot, he belted his second homer of the season in his first at-bat and went on to collect two more hits, one on a bunt. He also stole his 21st base.
At the bottom, Marcus Hanel was going 3-for-3 with a double, a run scored and one batted in. Chance Sanford, in the eighth slot, went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a walk.
Mariano De los Santos continued to be sharp with his pitching, yielding only Motorboat Jones' leadoff homer while scattering four hits and striking out eight in 5 innings. Jones' homer, coming when it did, may have been just the jolt De los Santos needed.
"Hanging changeup," said De los Santos, who has allowed only five earned runs in his past 22 2/3 innings. "I'm afraid to throw the changeup here because it's such a small ballpark. But lately, next to my fastball, my changeup has been my best pitch. I had to try it."
Salem manager Scott Little called on his usual relievers - Kevin Rychel, Matt Ruebel, Sean Evans and Jason Christiansen this time - and only one more Spirit advanced as far as third.
"We got the pitching," Little said. "The relief pitchers did a heck of a job. Makes my job easy."
Hanel's assignment of getting some wrinkles ironed out of his swing hasn't been so easy. A catcher, he hasn't been playing as much as Angelo Encarnacion, who has almost twice as many at-bats. But Monday, Hanel adjusted his hands as instructed and came up with an RBI double and two singles.
"I've been pulling off the ball," he said. "Lit [Little] has been working with me on going with the pitch and hitting to the opposite field. I felt more relaxed out there than I have in a long while."
\ BUCSHOTS: Salem has won three of four. Coupled with Durham's 8-2 win over Kinston, that boosted the Bucs into a virtual first-place tie in the Southern Division with the Indians. Salem (22-21) is over .500 for the first time since April 8. . . . Salem's Ken Bonifay extended his hitting streak to eight games. . . . Spirits shortstop Eric Owens, of Ferrum College and Tunstall High School, went 0-for-4, dropping his average to .292.
NOTE: See microfilm for statistics.
by CNB