Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 25, 1994 TAG: 9406250028
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Salem Buccaneers gave up a bunch of runs - again - in a 9-4 Carolina League loss Friday to Winston-Salem at Municipal Field. That makes 37 runs given up in the Bucs' past three games, but their real goof came after an out was made.
With one out - remember, one out - in the Winston-Salem eighth, Spirits second baseman Dee Jenkins doubled. Left fielder Adam Hyzdu's deep fly was caught on the run in left-center by Salem's Danny Clyburn, who glided toward center, easing into his turn to head for the dugout.
When Clyburn realized it wasn't the third out, it was too late to get Jenkins, who scored from second on the sacrifice fly to break a 4-4 tie.
"I was coming around, and [the third base coach] just kept telling me to go," Jenkins said. "It just so happened they said [Clyburn] kept going. I figured if he's going to send me, I'm going to go."
Winston-Salem took advantage against Bucs reliever Jason Abramavicius, scoring twice more on a Salem error, an RBI double by designated hitter Chris Vasquez and an RBI single by Toby Rumfield to take a 7-4 lead. Mike Harrison's two-run homer in the ninth sealed the Spirits' first victory of the second half of the season.
Vasquez, who homered in his final at-bat Thursday against Durham, gave the Spirits leads of 1-0 and 2-1 with homers in his first two at-bats Friday. The eighth-inning RBI double capped a three-hit, three-RBI night for the 22-year-old.
"I've had a problem lately of trying to pull the ball a lot," Vasquez said. "The ball up the middle, if I go with it, I'll do well with it."
Salem had won six of its past nine but could not please the promotion-stoked crowd of 4,576 in losing the opener of a four-game series. Only one of the Bucs' runs scored on a hit (Jon Farrell's sixth homer).
It was a streamlined game for seven innings, contrary to the messy 18-7 and 12-10 games the past two nights in Salem.
In the fifth, the Bucs loaded the bases on two walks and a bunt single by Chance Sanford. Jason Kendall's fielder's choice scored one run, and Jake Austin's sacrifice fly put Salem ahead 3-2.
Dan Frye's RBI double tied it for Winston-Salem in the seventh. In the bottom half, shortstop Eddie Brooks led off with a double for the Bucs. Conger bunted him to third and Sanford's fly ball scored him. At the time, one run seemed important.
"I just want a lead," Bucs manager Trent Jewett said of bunting Brooks to third with none out. "Anything can happen. You saw what happened with the last bunt. I'm just doing whatever feels right at the time."
The Spirits' four-run eighth superseded Salem's score and ruined a solid seven-inning outing by starter Marc Wilkins. Winston-Salem entered the game sixth in the Carolina League in batting average - .251 to Salem's .275 - but the Spirits' 399 runs led the league.
In addition to Winston-Salem's three home runs, three other Spirits fly balls were caught on the warning track.
"The type of team we have, we can put up some big numbers in a hurry," Jenkins said.
\ BUCSHOTS: Salem shortstop Alan Purdy was put on the disabled list and sent home to Nashville, Tenn., to rest his sore back. Jewett said he'd like another utility infielder, but said he hadn't heard from the Pittsburgh organization as to when - or if - a replacement might come. . . . Bucs left-hander Sean Lawrence, sixth in the league in ERA (2.63), had a magnetic resonance imaging test performed Friday night on the ailing knee that put him on the DL on June 14 . . . Prince William's Jimmy Hurst hit two home runs in one running Thursday, tying the Carolina League record set by former Bucs catcher Mandy Romero, who did it May 13, 1990. . . . Steve Parris, who joined the Bucs on Thursday, pitched one inning Friday.
NEXT UP: Salem left-hander Matt Ruebel (1-1, 6.61) vs. Winston-Salem right-hander Chad Fox (7-2, 2.58) at Municipal Field. Game time is 7 p.m. Ticket prices: $5 (box); $4 (reserved); $3 (general admission); $1 off for children 12 and younger and senior citizens.
by CNB