Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 2, 1990 TAG: 9006020287
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By JOHN SMALLWOOD SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Salem Buccaneers got solo home runs from Darwin Pennye and Chris Estep. Starter Steve Buckholz scattered five hits in seven innings and reliever Jim Czajkowski defused a ninth inning rally as the Bucs returned to Municipal Field with a 2-1 victory over the Prince William Cannons on Friday.
All this before Alison Bly, aka "The Dynamite Lady," climbed into a plastic foam box and detonated explosives - the equivalent of two sticks of dynamite - at the pitcher's mound. Bly was unscathed and will perform her stunt for the 224th time in Lynchburg tonight.
Meanwhile, the Bucs (20-31) remain in last place in the Carolina League's Southern Division and are a long shot to catch front-running Frederick (27-22). But with victories in five of its past eight games, after a seven-game losing skid, Salem has a new spirit of optimism.
"Everybody's coming around," said Buckholz (5-3). "We've been getting some good pitching. We've still got three weeks left in the first half, and everybody's feeling a lot better."
Trailing 1-0 after a solo home run in the fourth inning by Russ Davis, the Bucs knotted the score thanks to the hot bat of Pennye.
Pennye, who hit .350 in May, started June by going 3-for-4. He hit a towering home run over the scoreboard in left field off Cannons starter Jim Wiley (2-3) to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning.
Estep drove a Wiley pitch over the wall in the sixth. Since his league-leading 10th homer came in a home run jackpot inning, he split $290 from a sponsor with Tim Hatfield, a senior at Northside High.
Butch Schlopy pitched the eighth inning for the Bucs, but a walk and a single to the first two Cannons in the ninth brought in Czajkowski.
Salem's new closer blew an inside fastball by Jason Bridges for a called third strike. Czajkowski retired Mauricio Zazueta on a groundout to first, then struck out Paul Oster looking to pick up his third save.
"Tonight was another indication that our pitching staff has turned things around," said Stan Cliburn, the Bucs' manager. "Buckholz pitched well, and Czajkowski came into a tough situation and closed out. They're pitching the way they're capable of now."
\ BUCSHOTS: Frank Seminara, whose 8-1 record is the best in the league, will be on the mound for Prince William tonight as the Cannons continue their three-game series with the Bucs. Tim McDowell (2-3) starts for Salem. . . . Former Bucs center fielder Moises Alou was promoted from Harrisburg (AA) to Buffalo (AAA) of the International League. In 27 at-bats with Buffalo, Alou has 11 hits for a .407 batting average, with a home run, a triple and eight RBI. PRINCE WILLIAM SALEM ab r h bi ab r h bi Oster cf4000 Pennye cf4131 Silvestri ss3000 Schreiber 3b4010 Snow 1b4010 Merejo lf4000 Obando dh4000 Hines dh4020 Davis 3b4121 Romero c4010 Hernandez c3010 Estep rf3111 Ausmus pr0000 Shelton 1b4000 Howell rf4010 Huyler ss4010 Bridges lf4000 Bailey 2b3010 Zazueta 2b4010 Totals34 1 6 1 Totals 34 2 10 2
Prince William000 100 000-1 Salem000 011 00x-2
E-Huyler, Davis, Buckholz, Shelton. DP-Prince William 1, Salem 1. LOB-Prince William 9, Salem 9. 2B-Pennye, Hines, Davis, Hernandez. HR-Pennye (5), Estep (10), Davis (6). IP HRERBBSO Prince William Wiley L, 2-3 6102214 Canestro 200001 Salem Buckholz W, 5-3 751122 Schlopy 110010 Czajkowski S, 3 100002
Schlopy pitched to two batters in ninth.
PB-Romero.
Umpires-Home, Krauss; bases, Lihner.
T-2:34. A-2,992.
by CNB