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

DATE: SATURDAY, July 30, 1994                   TAG: 9408160017
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

4-RUN 9TH DOOMS BUCS

One inning from a tidy victory Friday, Salem's methods turned slovenly, and its win became a 5-4 loss to the Wilmington Blue Rocks.

Marc Wilkins' seamless seven innings of starting pitching slid into insignificance when closer Sean Evans was socked for four runs in the ninth, the killer blow a three-run double by designated hitter Andy Stewart.

The Bucs' fourth straight loss dropped them to 13-21. In the opener of a three-game weekend series at Municipal Field, Wilmington beat Salem for the third straight time and improved to 18-15.

Salem led 4-1 entering the ninth, thanks to a two-run homer by Jason Kendall in the first and a pair of runs in the fifth, one coming on Ramon Zapata's RBI double. Wilkins allowed seven hits and a run in seven innings. Evans, who had seven saves and a 1.56 earned-run average, started the ninth.

Raul Gonzalez singled and was forced at second by Lance Jennings. Evans, who has walked 23 batters in 41 innings, passed Felix Martinez. Evans struck out Steve Murphy, but Johnny Damon chopped a grounder two stories high in front of the mound, and Evans fielded it but had no play.

Jennings scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-2 Bucs, and Steve Sisco walked to load the bases. Stewart, 4-for-5 on Friday, ripped a 2-1 pitch to right center for a bases-clearing double.

``I was waiting for him to throw a strike,'' said Stewart, aware that Evans had walked two men. ``The worst thing to do is go up and swing at the first pitch.''

Salem manager Trent Jewett praised Wilkins' effort as ``outstanding,'' but when asked about Evans' troubles, simply said: ``He's our stopper.''

Wilmington's closers - and everyone else in the Blue Rocks' bullpen - were banished to the visitors' clubhouse in the sixth inning by bases umpire Ron Kulpa, who was tired of their jeers. Blue Rocks' manager Mike Jirschele was ejected, he said because he refused Kulpa's order to tell his bullpen to march across the field.

``I told him, `If they're getting on you, pick a guy out and throw him out,''' Jirschele said. ``He said, `I don't know who it is.' I said, `You tell 'em to go to the clubhouse.'''

Jirschele was out of the game, but not his team.

The Bucs' ninth-inning rally ended when Dario Tena grounded out with runners on second and third.

Keywords:
BASEBALL

by CNB