Huntsville Bounces Back From Tough Loss in Opener

Published on May 26, 2009 under Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars News Release


Donovan Hand spun five solid innings to win his first start of the season and Vinny Rottino drove in three runs to lead Huntsville to a 7-1 win over Tennessee in game two and a split in the first of three doubleheaders this week at Smokies Park. The Stars improved to 22-20 and kept the 21-23 Smokies two games behind in the North Division, though Carolina moved to within a game and a half of the top spot after beating Montgomery earlier in the evening.

The Stars jumped on Smokies' starter James Russell for four runs in the first inning with the middle two coming on a Rottino double. The southpaw uncorked two wild pitches in the inning that allowed a run to score and needed 42 offerings to get through the initial frame. However, he settled down and retired 15 of the last 16 batters he faced, save for a Yohannis Perez single in the fourth. He suffered the loss to fall to 2-3 after giving up four hits, walking one and fanning six. Kevin Melillo's two-run home run in the seventh off of Brian Schlitter, his third in the last four games, finished the scoring for the visitors, who are now 12-9 on the road.

Hand, who had made 13 appearances in relief before getting the ball in game two, gave up an unearned run in the first inning and was helped out of further trouble in the frame by inducing Blake Lalli to ground into a double play. He finished his performance by retiring the last 10 batters he faced to earn his third win of the year. He allowed four singles, did not walk a batter and struck out three. Derrick Ellison threw two scoreless, hitless innings to nail down his second save of the season.

Robert Hinton, who came on to get the last out in the home sixth of the opener, retired the first two batters in the seventh before Russ Canzler scratched out his second infield hit of the game and Ty Wright followed with a single to right field. Jim Adduci then belted a 1-1 offering over the wall in right for his first home run of the season to give the Smokies a dramatic 8-6 come from behind win. Hinton suffered his third loss of the year, as the Stars suffered their third walk-off loss of the season.

Huntsville strung together six consecutive two-out hits in the sixth inning against David Cales to grab a 6-2 lead. JR Hopf's pinch-hit, run-scoring single snapped the tie and was followed by run-producing hits by Adam Stern, Shane Justis and Jonathan Lucroy. Stars' starter Chris Cody was lifted after five innings with the lead, having allowed two runs on six hits while striking out three. Juan Sandoval took over in the sixth and gave up a two-out, three-run home run to Brandon Guyer, his first of the season, that cut the lead to 6-5.

The series continues Wednesday night with right-hander Mike Jones throwing for the Stars against Smokies' right-hander Hung-Wen Chen. Coverage of the game begins at 6:00 pm central time and can be heard through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

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Southern League Stories from May 26, 2009


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