Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 24, 1993 TAG: 9307240195
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After closing to one run behind the tormenting Wilmington Blue Rocks, the Bucs went silently (save for Jeff Conger's two-out walk) with three of their last four batters perishing sullenly, bats shouldered, with called third strikes.
So the Blue Rocks, who had erased a four-run deficit, won 8-7 in front of 2,016 spectators at Municipal Field.
As far as Salem was concerned, it wouldn't have been so bad had not pinch-hitter Kevin Polcovich, Don Garvey, and Chance Sanford swung the sticks in anger instead of being ninth-inning spectators themselves.
"You want to see somebody go up there and try to win the ballgame," Salem manager Scott Little said. "Those weren't exactly Steve Carlton sliders they were called out on. You have to protect the plate. Put it in play and you have a chance."
A chance is what Joe Ronca had given them when he led off the ninth with a solo swat off laboring Rocks starter Brian Harrison. Ronca, getting a rare start at third base, had already hit one homer to lead off the fourth and pull the Bucs into a 5-5 tie. He ended with three hits.
"Ronca hit the heck out of the ball tonight," Little said. "It's too bad he was leading off the inning both times with the homers."
Leads and ties were about as safe for the Bucs (14-17) Friday as a skateboard on a busy highway. Jon Farrell's three-run homer in the first was the cornerstone of a four-run lead that lasted two more innings. Wilmington (14-17) came right back with one in the second and four more in the third.
Michel LaPlante, the Salem starter, had trouble in the third as the Rocks assembled a fearsome attack based on a walk, an error, and four singles. Four runs scored.
The beneficiary of these developments was Harrison, who moved into a league-leading tie with his 11th victory. Despite yielding 12 hits, Harrison survived until the ninth, when Jeff Smith came on and fanned the side.
"A bad first inning got it all started," Harrison said. "I was kind of down because I knew there was eight more innings to go. Good thing we had a lot of guys swinging the bats. They picked me up and made me a happy man."
Among his saviors was Hugh Walker with a two-run homer and three hits and Andy Stewart, whose leadoff homer in the ninth off Mark Mesewicz gave the Rocks a two-run lead.
\ BUCSHOTS: Ken Bonifay missed Friday's game and will be out tonight with a bone bruise on his right hand. . . . Ramon Espinosa had two hits and an RBI. He's had 14 hits in his past 28 at-bats with eight RBI. \
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB