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

DATE: THURSDAY, June 3, 1993                   TAG: 9306030338
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CHRIS BACHELDER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BLUE ROCKS TRAMPLE BUCS AGAIN SALEM SKID GROWS TO SIX WITH LOSS

After wiping out Salem with 15 runs Tuesday, Wilmington's Blue Rocks swatted three more home runs and again trampled home plate in an 11-3 victory ver the Buccaneers on Wednesday night.

The final game of a three-game series sweep was the sixth consecutive loss for Salem and the eighth defeat in its past nine games.

Wilmington, the Carolina League's best, got a little help from everyone in the lineup. Each starter reached base and seven Rocks had a hit, scored a run and drove one in.

Wilmington got solo home runs from Pat Dando and Raul Gonzalez, and a two-run, ninth-inning shot from Jason Marshall, who finished 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.

You'd think that Rocks manager Ron Johnson would have taken a liking to the Bucs' cozy park, but it isn't so.

"We've been successful, but I hate to manage here," Johnson said. "It scares me to death. You never have enough runs and the game can change so quickly.

"We didn't hit the ball that well tonight, but the ball goes out or off the wall. It gives you a false sense of power. We'll go home to our huge park and it will take at least a day to adjust."

Wilmington broke open the game with five runs in the fourth inning off Salem starter Dave Doorneweerd to take a 6-0 lead. The Rocks struck with four singles, a walk and two Bucs errors, including a two-run boot by first baseman Michael Brown.

The Bucs got two runs in the fourth on a two-run shot by Trace Ragland, who has hit four homers in his past six games. Salem tacked on its final run in the sixth on Jon Farrell's 10th long ball of the year.

Salem loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but Ken Bonifay and Farrell struck out to end the threat.

Doorneweerd (2-5) gave up eight hits and eight runs (six earned) in 5 2/3 innings.

"We've let up a lot of runs lately and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little concerned," said Bucs manager Scott Little. "But sometimes in this field, you make a good pitch and it goes off the end of the bat and out of the park.

"You've got to be asking yourself, `What the hell do I have to do?' "

Keywords:
BASEBALL