Bobby Bramhall worked 6 1/3 solid innings and Jonathan Lucroy added a home run and knocked in four runs to lead Huntsville past Chattanooga 12-1 Thursday night in the fourth of a six-game set at Joe Davis Stadium. The Stars have taken three of four to begin the second half and have outscored the Lookouts 20-3 in so doing to improve to 41-32 on the season, while the visitors dropped to 31-42 overall.
Adam Stern opened the home first with a double, moved to third base on a Josh Bell throwing error and scored when Lucroy doubled to right field to give the Stars the early 1-0 lead. Vinny Rottino then singled in Shane Justis one out later to give the home team a two-run lead, as they scored for second time in the series in the first inning.
Lucroy belted a three-run home run in the third inning to make it 5-0 and mark the second time in three games he had driven in a run in the first inning and followed with a three-run long ball in the third. Chuck Caufield doubled in a run to finish off a four-run rally before Alberto Bastardo was lifted after 2 2/3 innings in his double-A debut. He took the loss after allowing five earned runs on eight hits, walking one and fanning one.
Bramhall blanked the Looks on one hit through five innings before Justin Sellers led off the sixth with an infield hit, moved to second base on a ground out and scored on a Russ Mitchell double. The Stars' southpaw was lifted with two runners on in the seventh and followed by Zach Braddock, who fanned pinch-hitter Adam Godwin and got Sellers to fly out to end the inning in his double-A debut. The left-hand reliever made the night even more special by belting an opposite field grand slam in the bottom of the inning in his first professional at-bat to make it a 12-1 game. Bramhall allowed four hits, walked three and fanned six to pick up the win and even his record at 4-4. Braddock retired all five hitters he faced and Rob Wooten followed with a scoreless ninth inning in his double-A debut.
Rottino collected three hits, while Justis, Freddy Parejo and Yohannis Perez each added a pair in a 13-hit attack, as the Stars improved to 17-17 at home.
The series continues Friday night with right-hander Mark Holliman taking the hill against Lookouts' left-hander James Adkins. Coverage of the game begins at 6:45 pm central time and can be heard through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.
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