Huntsville Homers Way to Twin Bill Split

Published on June 7, 2009 under Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars News Release


Vinny Rottino and Taylor Green blasted back-to-back home runs in the tenth inning to carry Huntsville to a much needed 5-1 comeback win in game two of a twin bill Sunday afternoon at Pringles Park. The Stars improved to 33-23 but saw their lead in the North Division trimmed to a game and a half after losing the opener 9-6 while Carolina blanked Jacksonville 2-0. The Diamond Jaxx fell to 23-35 on the season after falling to the Stars for an eleventh time in thirteen tries.

Adam Stern led off the tenth inning with a single, moved to second base on a Shane Justis sacrifice bunt and stayed put when Jonathan Lucroy lined out to right field. The Jaxx elected to walk Kevin Melillo for a second time in the game with first base open and the strategy backfired when Rottino crushed Aaron Cotter's first offering for a home run to left field to give the visitors their first lead of the game. Taylor Green then followed with a home run to make it a 5-1 game, as the Stars went back-to-back for a second time this season and hit three home runs in a game for the first time. Stern's lead off long ball in the sixth got the game tied at one. Luis Munoz went six innings for the Jaxx, giving up a lone run on five hits, while walking two and fanning four in a no-decision.

Robert Hinton retired the Jaxx in a scoreless bottom half of the inning after Derrick Ellison worked two perfect frames in relief to grab his second win of the season. Mike McClendon lasted seven innings in his second start of the season, giving up a run on six hits and striking out six. The only run he allowed came in the first inning when Mel Stocker singled, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Marshall Hubbard fly ball.

The Jaxx cashed in on leadoff triples in the third and fourth innings in the opener, getting sacrifice flies from Hubbard and Yamid Haad to take a 2-1 after four frames. Lucroy's two-run home run, his third long ball of the season, second off Jaxx' right-hander Kyle Parker and first since he took Parker deep on May 5, in the fifth inning put the visitors back on top at 3-2.

Stars' starter Mike Jones gave up a single and issued two walks to load the bases with one out in the bottom half of the frame before Johan Limonta cleared the bases with his second three-base hit of the game to put the Jaxx ahead to stay at 5-3 and knock Jones out of the game. Nick Bucci came on and gave up a two-run home run to Leury Bonilla and a solo shot to Haad that capped off a six-run uprising. Jones suffered the loss to fall to 1-1 after allowing six runs on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings.

Bucci was tossed out of the game in the sixth after hitting Brent Johnson after Hubbard had singled and taken off for second base despite not being held on and no throw from Lucroy from behind the plate. Juan Sandoval took over and gave up a run-scoring hit to Limonta that pushed the lead to 9-3. Parker was one out away from a second straight seven inning complete game when he hit Logan Schafer and was ejected. Green belted Ricky Orta's first pitch for a three-run home run to trim the lead to three before JR Hopf grounded out to end the game. Parker improved to 3-2 after allowing five runs on nine hits, while walking three and fanning three in his third start against the Stars.

The series continues Monday night with left-hander Bobby Bramhall starting for Huntsville against West Tenn southpaw Danny Christensen. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 pm central time and can be heard through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

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Southern League Stories from June 7, 2009


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