Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 14, 1990 TAG: 9004140386
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
On Friday night at Municipal Field, however, Estep was able to enjoy both team and personal satisfaction.
Salem whipped Prince William 12-1 for their second Carolina League win in a row, and Estep went 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. He highlighted the Bucs' victory by clouting the team's first home run of the season.
"It wasn't anything where I was trying to hit a home run," Estep said of his two-run shot off Ed Martel in the third inning. "I just wanted to put the ball in play.
Although hitless in the opener, Estep said his final at-bat Thursday - a hard ground out to second - helped encourage him for Friday's game.
"I'd struck out the first two times, but then put the ball in play," he said. "That last at-bat was the most important thing to getting me ready for today."
An early afternoon talk with Bucs manager Stan Cliburn and some good swings in batting practice had Estep ready for a big night.
"He [Estep] was just overanxious [Thursday] night, but that's to be expected on opening night," Cliburn said. "He was the first guy in this afternoon. I told him to stay within himself. He was relaxed tonight and hit the way he is capable of."
Estep wasn't the only Buc swinging heavy lumber. In all, Salem rattled three Prince William pitchers for 14 hits.
Salem lead-off man Greg Sims continued his hot start by going 3-for-5. He has five hits and a walk his first 10 at-bats.
Sims drove in two runs Friday, as did designated hitter Keith Raisanen, who was 2-for-4.
Bucs first baseman Ben Shelton and third baseman Bruce Schreiber also had two-hit games.
"Anytime you win by a large margin, you're very happy," Cliburn said. "We tell our guys each time at bat make it your best. You try to take every at-bat like it's your last."
The Bucs touched Martel for three runs in the first two innings and pounced on him in the third.
Schreiber and Darwin Pennye led off the inning with singles. Raisanen brought them home with a double. Then Estep finished Martel for the night by depositing a pitch over the wall in left-center to put Salem up 7-1.
That was more than enough cushion for Bucs starter Butch Schlopy, who, although he yielded five hits and four walks in six innings, gave up just one run.
Tim McDowell, Mike Pomeranz and Jeff Neely closed out the win by pitching an inning each.
The Bucs continued to display the aggressive style that Cliburn had said they would. They had five doubles on Friday and have eight extra-base hits in the first two games.
"This is something the fans should expect," Estep said of the Bucs' why-be-satisfied-with-a-single approach. "[Cliburn] wants us to be aggressive at the plate, and he's really aggressive on the bases.
\ BUCSHOTS: Right-hander Tim Wakefield is the Bucs' scheduled starter for tonight's game. Jim Wiley will go for Prince William. Wakefield originally was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates as a first baseman in 1988 but was coverted to a pitcher last season. He was 1-1 with a 3.40 ERA at Welland of the New York-Penn League. In 39 innings, Wakefield struck out 42. PR. WILLIAM SALEM ab r h bi ab r h bi Zazueta 2b3020 Sims cf5132 Erhardt 2b1000 Schreiber 3b5120 Silvestri ss4000 Pennye lf5111 Bridges dh2010 Raisanen dh4222 Viera ph1000 Estep rf4223 Obando lf3000 Romero c2200 Howell rf3010 Caraballo c1000 Snow 1b3100 Shelton 1b5121 Davis 3b4011 Huyler ss2101 Ausmus c3020 Williams ss000 Hernandez c1000 McNabb 2b3121 Oster cf4000 Bailey 2b000 Totals32 1 7 1 Totals 36 12 14 11
Pr. William010 000 000-1 Salem124 001 40X-12
E-Zazueta, Davis, Romero, McNabb. DP- Pr. William 1, Salem 1. LOB-Pr. William 9, Salem 7. 2B-Sims, Schreiber, Raisanen, Estep, Shelton. 3B-Davis. HR-Estep (1). SB-Bridges (1). SF-Huyler. IP HRERBBSO Pr. William Martel, L0-1 397710 Prybylinski 321113 Polak 134221 Gardella 100012 Salem Schlopy, W 1-0 651141 McDowell 120001 Pomeranz 100010 Neely 100001
Martel faced four batters in third.
HBP - Romero by Polak. W-Schlopy, Gardella.
Umpires-Home, York; bases, Barket.
T-2:34. A-5,137
by CNB