ROANOKE TIMES 

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

DATE: SATURDAY, August 28, 1993                   TAG: 9308280271
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE: LYNCHBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

SALEM COMEBACK BID FALLS SHORT 6-5

The Salem Buccaneers dug themselves a deep hole Friday night against Lynchburg. They nearly climbed out of it with a three-run eighth inning, but fell one run short in a 6-5 loss to the Red Sox at City Stadium.

With Salem trailing 6-2, Michael Brown doubled off Red Sox reliever Joe Hudson, scoring Ramon Espinosa and Jon Farrell. Joe Ronca got an RBI single off reliever Gary Painter, but that was it for the Bucs.

Salem's Chance Sanford had a one-out single in the top of the ninth, but was forced by Espinosa. Salem's Don Garvey grounded out to end the game.

It was an ugly beginning for Salem. The Red Sox scored two runs in the second inning off an error by Brown. The third and fourth runs of the inning for the Red Sox came home when Sean Lawrence (0-3) threw a wild pitch and Felix Colon hit an RBI single. Lawrence was relieved by Dennis Konuszewski in the fourth inning, after giving up six runs - five earned - on eight hits and two walks.

Jeff Conger scored the first run for the Bucs in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Ronca. Lynchburg made it 6-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Randy Brown hit an RBI single and J.J. Johnson lofted a sacrifice fly.

Garvey drove in the second Salem run in the fifth with a single, but the Bucs wouldn't score again until the eighth.

Jeff Faino (6-2) went five innings for the Red Sox. Hudson relieved him in the sixth and left after Brown's double in the eighth. Gary Painter finished the game for Lynchburg.

In the final game of the series, Salem's Doug Harrah (6-5) pitches against Lynchburg's Joel Bennett (7-11) at 7:15 p.m. today in a battle of right-handers.

\ see microfilm for box score 


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