K-Tribe drops Salem

Published in Sports on May 25, 2004 1:55 PM

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KINSTON -- Fausto Carmona dominated over seven shutout innings and the Kinston Indians got all the runs they would need with a five-spot in the first, as Kinston beat Salem 9-4 Monday night at Grainger Stadium.

The win opened a 10-game homestand for the K-Tribe as the Indians maintained their four-game lead over Myrtle Beach in the South Division. Kinston improved to 30-12, while Salem fell to 24-19 in the first game of a 15-game road trip.

After Carmona needed just 12 pitches to dispatch Salem in the first, the Indians went right to work against Jailen Peguero, who was making his first start of the year.

Ivan Ochoa led off with a double and went to third when shortstop Wade Robinson booted Nathan Panther's grounder. Michael Aubrey singled to put Kinston ahead 1-0, and Ryan Garko followed a sacrifice fly to center to plate Panther. Red-hot David Wallace laced a double off the right field wall to give the Indians a 3-0 cushion.

Shaun Larkin made it 4-0 with another sacrifice fly, and Anthony Lunetta, the ninth man to bat in the inning, capped the scoring with a hit to center.

Kinston tallied again on the very first pitch in the bottom of the second, as Panther belted a Tom Lipari offering over the wall in right for his fifth home run of the season.

Salem made it interesting with four runs off Juan Lara in the eighth, highlighted by a three-run homer from Cameron Likely.

The Indians answered immediately as Garko rolled a single through the drawn-in infield in the bottom of the eighth to make it 9-4. Lara then worked an uneventful ninth.

Carmona moved to 3-2 with the win, handcuffing the Salem offense to the tune of just two hits in seven sublime innings. He walked no one and struck out two. Peguero fell to 1-1 with the loss. Aubrey led the offense with a 4-5 night, while Garko had three RBI and Panther scored four runs.

Game two in the series is slated for 7 p.m. tonight. Righthander Brian Slocum will get the ball for Kinston, while righty Chris Sampson will start for Salem. For more information, call the Indians at (252) 527-9111.