Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 28, 1993 TAG: 9304280346
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Tuesday night, the pitching - threadbare to begin with - betrayed the Bucs again. The Durham Bulls, who weren't exactly tearing Municipal Field up with their bats, were allowed to hang around in large part because of seven walks. Then, Salem's bullpen gave way and the Bulls had an 8-7 Carolina League victory.
The Bucs wasted 11 hits including a pair of homers from coming-back-to-life Marty Neff and league leader Jon Farrell (his sixth). The penalty was their third straight loss and fifth in six games. Salem fell to 6-11, the worst record in the league.
Durham led 3-0 in the third inning when Vince Moore hit his third homer of the year, a two-run job, and Dom Therrien slashed a run-scoring triple off laboring Dave Doorneweerd. All this happened with two outs, meaning that 11 of the 14 runs the Bulls had scored in the series came with two outs.
Salem scored twice in the fourth with Mike Brown singling in one run and Marcus Hanel, making his first start of the year behind the plate, delivering another with a sacrifice fly. Durham answered with a solo home run by Dave Wollenburg (the sixth time in seven games Salem pitching has surrendered two or more homers) to go up 4-2 in the fifth.
Then Neff, who was 5 for his last 30, belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning.
"When he [starter Jerry Koller] struck me out before, he threw me a fastball away," Neff said. "He threw me another then came inside with another fastball."
Farrell led off the sixth with another dinger and an out later, that was it for Koller.
Matt Ruebel, who had succeeded Doorneweerd, got into trouble in the seventh with a leadoff walk, an infield single, and another walk. On came left-hander Jason Christiansen, who fanned Moore. Lance Marks grounded into a force at third as Don Robinson was nailed at the plate. Next was Therrien, who took a 1-2 pitch into left field for a three-run double.
"I take responsibility for that," Hanel said. "A 1-2 count and he should waste a pitch. I should take more control out there."
"I don't know if you should waste one there," Bucs manager Scott Little said. "You should just throw a good pitch. He left one over the plate."
The Bucs had three straight one-out hits in the eighth to cut their deficit to one, but that was as close as they got.
\ BUCSHOTS: Infielder Rich Juday, batting .143, was released and replaced by Kevin Polcovich up from Augusta. Polcovich started and went 2-for-4. Infielder Don Garvey was sent to Augusta and Joe Ronca is expected to replace him. DURHAM SALEM ab r h bi ab r h bi Robinson rf4000 Womack ss5100 Wollenburg ss5221 Neff lf4112 Graffagnino 2b1210 Ragland rf5110 Moore cf4112 Farrell cf3111 Marks 1b4210 Bonifay 3b4230 Therrien 3b4124 Brown 1b4122 Coates dh4011 Hanel c4012 Williams lf4000 Sanford dh4000 Ayrault c4000 Polcovich 2b4020 Totals34 8 8 8 Totals 37 7 11 7
Durham003 010 400-8 Salem000 221 020-7
E-Graffagnino (2), Marks (4), Womack (9). DP- Durham 1. LOB-Durham 8, Salem 5. 2B-Therrien (3), Coates (2), Bonifay 2 (6). 3B-Therrien (1). HR-Moore (3), Wollenburg (1), Neff (5), Farrell (6). SF-Hanel. IP HRERBBSO Durham Koller 575322 Burgess W, 2-0 232203 Leahy S, 2 110003 Salem Doorneweerd 444433 Ruebel L, 0-1 212231 Christiansen 122203 McCurry 110013
HBP - Moore by Doorneweerd, Marks by Doorneweerd. W-Leahy.
Umpires-Home, Pinto; bases, Fincher.
T-3:02. A-938.
NEXT UP: Salem's Esteban Loaiza (2-1, 3.60 ERA) vs. Durham's Kevin Loman (1-0, 2.33) 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