Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 11, 1994 TAG: 9404110048
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"Anybody who saw our team last year could tell from the past four games we just played that we have a whole lot different team in here now," he said.
This edition of the Bucs provided continuing evidence that it is constructed of decidedly stouter fiber than its 1993 counterpart by rallying from six runs down to beat the Frederick Keys 7-6 in a soggy Carolina League matinee Sunday at Municipal Field and gain a split of the series.
Down 4-0 after one inning and 6-0 after four, Salem broke through for six runs in the sixth inning to tie it, then won it in the seventh on Jay Cranford's solo home run.
"We played basically the same game we did last night [in a 4-3 10-inning loss], only today we won," Salem manager Trent Jewett said. "To the common eye, today was different, but it wasn't.
"When you see that kind of heart two days in a row, it shows you that we got a lot of special somebodies here. This team is hungry."
Frederick, a menacing offensive club itself, had to be held off the last two innings in the rain for the victory to stand, and setup man Sean Evans and closer Marc Pisciotta were up to the task.
Evans got into some peril with a leadoff walk to Australian outfielder Clayton Byrne, who promptly stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Jason Kendall, making his first start of the season behind the plate. Evans then struck out the side.
They had to take the tarp off the bullpen mound so Pisciotta could warm up.
"The warmup was fine, but it was a matter of pacing yourself with the rain," said Pisciotta, taken by Colorado in the Rule 5 draft before failing to make the big-league club and returning to the Pittsburgh organization. "It was pretty bad out there [on the mound]. I didn't know how bad until I got there. You couldn't push off at all. You had to take something off the ball to avoid walking anybody."
Pisciotta did issue a walk and a bad pitch, but he came back with two strikeouts and a groundout.
Salem scored six runs, only two of them earned after a Eric Chavez error at third, in the sixth. The Bucs strung together four hits and two walks. Cranford and first-time starter Dario Tena each drove in two runs, and Tena and Jon Farrell doubled.
Cranford, a tall and lanky Georgian known around the clubhouse as "Shaggy" for his unkempt hair and casual wardrobe, won it with a one-out homer the next inning off reliever Scott Conner.
"I got ahead, and I narrowed down the strike zone and was looking for a fastball either over the middle or inside," Cranford said. "The ball was inside, and I pulled it."
Frederick took the early lead on Billy Owens' grand slam off Salem starter Marc Wilkins then added to it on Keith Eaddy's RBI single and Byrne's score after a Kendall passed ball.
"Some errors and walks and they got back into it," Frederick manager Mike O'Berry said. "Salem didn't have many chances, but it took advantage of them."
\ BUCSHOTS: The Bucs are off today before embarking on a six-game road trip to Wilmington and Frederick. . . . Infielder Alan Purdy (right elbow) and outfielder Danny Clyburn (left hand/wrist) are on the disabled list. . . . The Keys have two Virginians on the roster: pitchers John Jenkins (Culpeper) and Tommy Taylor (Charlottesville). . . . After starting 0-for-11 with five strikeouts, Farrell, the Bucs cleanup man, went 2-for-6 (.333) with two doubles and no whiffs.
by CNB