Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, August 7, 1993 TAG: 9308070157
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Jones, still showing the effects from a benches-clearing episode in Frederick, Md., on Wednesday, shut out the Bulls on five hits for seven innings, leading the Salem Buccaneers to a 3-2 Carolina League victory at Municipal Field.
"Yeah, this was a little more peaceful than the other night," Jones said. "It all started when [Salem third baseman] Joe Ronca got hit with a pitch. The benches cleared and I came running in from the bullpen with everybody else. Then the left fielder, who I had hit in an earlier game, came after me.
"The next thing I know, I must have had half the Frederick team on me. It was a melee. I had people jumping on top of me from all over the place and I was pinned at the bottom of the pile.
"I'm still stiff and kind of sore from it. My left thumb is still jammed."
The only things jammed Friday were the Durham bats. The Bulls managed five singles, three of which were followed by Salem double plays, against Jones (5-2). Despite a low pitch count, the 23-year-old right-hander was pulled after seven innings, with Salem leading 2-0 on Marty Neff's two-run homer in the sixth.
"The guy was just worn out," Bucs manager Scott Little said. "He had given everything he had. He was still extremely sore from the Frederick scuffle, but he did a heck of a job."
After left-hander Jason Christiansen worked a perfect eighth, Little went to his new closer, Marc Pisciotta in the ninth. Pisciotta walked three batters, was victimized by a throwing error and couldn't finish what would have been only Salem's second shutout in 114 games this season. But he did get the save, bearing down for the last two outs after Durham had pulled to 3-2 on Dominic Therrien's two-run double.
"A shutout would have been nice," Jones said. "But I'll take it. This is the first time I haven't given up any runs this year."
Jones, Pittsburgh's third pick in the June 1991 amateur draft, began the season with Class AA Carolina. He was 0-5 as a Mudcat with an ERA over 5.00 before being demoted to Salem on June 28.
"I was terrible at Carolina," he said. "I just tried to come here and do the job."
Mission accomplished, so far.
"He was 4-1 in July with a 2.81 ERA," Little said. "Other than a couple starts, he's been real steady. It's good to see that for a team that's scuffled this year."
\ BUCSHOTS: The Bucs' only shutout came at Winston-Salem on June 26, when Mariano De Los Santos turned the trick. Every other league club has at least four shutouts this season. . . . Salem got what proved to be a pivotal insurance run in the eighth when light-hitting Don Garvey doubled, went to third on Jeff Conger's bunt single and scored on Kevin Polcovich's double-play grounder. . . . Neff's homer, his 18th, pulled him into a three-way tie for the club lead with Mike Brown and Ken Bonifay. . . . The victory moved Salem (18-25) out of a last-place tie with Durham (17-26) in the second-half Southern Division race. . . . The Bucs, who appear to be headed toward their 11th consecutive losing half, are a league-worst 49-64 overall. \
see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
BASEBALL
by CNB