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

DATE: FRIDAY, July 23, 1993                   TAG: 9307230141
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PITCHING, DEFENSE SAVE BUCS

The hits didn't come with any great frequency for the Salem Buccaneers on Thursday, but quality pitching and defense allowed those that did get through to suffice.

The Bucs' one big inning, the sixth, was their only real uprising, but the combined labors of four pitchers and flawless defense made the difference in a 3-2 Carolina League victory over the Wilmington Blue Rocks at Municipal Field.

"I thought that was our best game of the year," Salem catcher Angelo Encarnacion said. "We knew the general manager [Pittsburgh Pirates GM Cam Bonifay] was here and we wanted to show him he had a good team in here."

Encarnacion continued to get it done after returning from the disabled list. His solo home run to lead off the sixth pulled the Bucs into a 1-1 tie. He also picked Tom Smith off first to end the eighth inning.

The most deadly lick dealt by the Bucs came two outs after Encarnacion's shot. Mike Brown belted a two-run homer (Ramon Espinosa was aboard after a single) to the opposite field to give Salem a 3-1 lead.

"It was a 3-1 fastball on the outside of the plate," Brown said. "I was looking for something in my zone that I could handle. It felt good when I hit it."

Salem lived dangerously the rest of the way. Wilmington scored a run in the seventh, but left the bases loaded, the second time that happened. Then in the eighth, Francisco Mendoza of the Rocks drove a pitch from reliever Dennis Konuszewski deep to left before Don Garvey, feeling his way along the wall like a man in the dark, flagged it down.

In the ninth, with new Salem closer Marc Pisciotta throwing seeds until Mike Guerrero nailed a two-out liner to left, right-fielder Jon Farrell made the play of the night. Chad Strickland hit a slicing fly ball to right that Farrell had to sprint after then dive for to end the game.

"At first, I'm thinking, `He's got that,' " Salem manager Scott Little said. "Then I go, `Wait a minute here. . . . ' "

Esteban Loaiza threw 6 1/3 strong innings for the Bucs, scattering six hits including Smith's solo homer in the fifth.

\ BUCSHOTS: The Bucs clubhouse was a busy place with all the visitors from the Pirates' organization in town. In addition to Bonifay, the uncle of Bucs infielder Ken Bonifay, there was field coordinator Jack Lind, infielder instructor Rocky Bridges, hitting instructor Steve Henderson, and special assignment scout Ken Parker. . . . Right-hander Doug Harrah was scheduled to start for Salem in the series finale Saturday until it was pointed out that All-Star game participants are barred from pitching the night before the game, according to league rules. Eric Parkinson will start instead.

Keywords:
BASEBALL

by CNB