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

DATE: THURSDAY, May 26, 1994                   TAG: 9405260050
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: From staff reports
DATELINE: WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.                                LENGTH: Medium

BUCCANEERS RALLY, BUT LOSE TO SPIRITS

One ninth-inning rally gave the Salem Buccaneers a chance to win. Another ninth-inning rally sent them to defeat.

After scoring five runs - three of them on Jeff Conger's homer - in the top of the ninth to take a one-run lead, Salem gave up two unearned runs in the bottom of the ninth and lost 9-8 to the Winston-Salem Spirits on Wednesday night in Carolina League baseball.

Trailing 7-3, Salem (22-25) got a homer from Jay Cranford to start the ninth. Two outs later, pinch-hitter Dario Tena singled home Chance Sanford, who had walked. Conger then unloaded his blast over the right-field wall to give the Bucs an 8-7 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, Salem reliever Sean Evans walked the first two Spirits batters, including Cleveland Ladell, who was trying to lay down a sacrifice bunt. Mike Meggers attempted to move the runners with a bunt, but third baseman Cranford fielded and threw the ball to shortstop Rich Luna to force Pat Watkins at third.

Luna, however, made an ill-advised throw to first to try to turn a double play. The ball skipped past Jon Farrell and allowed Ladell to score the tying run while Meggers raced to third. Toby Rumfield lined a single off Evans (0-3) and over the head of pulled-in left fielder Danny Clyburn to win it for Winston-Salem (23-24).

Conger, Cranford and Marcus Hanel homered for Salem. For the Spirits, home runs were clubbed by Meggers, Rumfield and Ricky Magdaleno.

Tuesday's game

\ Bucs 8, Spirits 6: Former Wake Forest star Jake Austin celebrated his return to Winston-Salem by going 4-for-5 with an RBI to spark Salem to the victory.

"This has been like a homecoming," said Austin, a right fielder who also drove in a run Monday night in the opening game of the series. "I never got to play on this field in the four years I was at Wake because we had the new stadium [on campus]. I used to come here and watch, but this was more fun. I had a lot of good friends come out to the game tonight and I was hoping I'd do well."

Another player who did well for the Bucs was Danny Clyburn. The left fielder went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI.

Manuel Santana picked up the victory in relief of Matt Chamberlain, holding the Spirits to one hit and two walks in 2 innings. Marc Pisciotta worked a perfect ninth to earn his league-leading 11th save.

by CNB