Biscuits Win In Last At-Bat, Again

Published on July 31, 2009 under Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars News Release


Pedro Powell singled in the game-winning run with one out in the bottom of the tenth inning to carry Montgomery to a 4-3 walk-off win over Huntsville Friday night in the last of a five-game set at Riverwalk Stadium. The Biscuits took the last four games of the set to raise their record to 16-19 in the second half and 49-56 overall, while the Stars slipped to 14-21 in the second half and 52-52 overall.

Rob Wooten retired all six batters he faced, fanning the side in the ninth, and gave way to Juan Sandoval to open the tenth. Cody Cipriano lined his first pitch into center field for a hit, moved to second base on a Matt Spring sacrifice bunt and scored when Powell singled into left field and Drew Anderson's throw home sailed high and wide of catcher Jonathan Lucroy. Sandoval suffered the loss to fall to 3-3, while Eddie Morlan earned the win to improve to 5-4. Morlan struck out Lucroy and got Taylor Green to fly out with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth and induced Michael Garciaparra to ground into an inning-ending double play in the top of the tenth with two runners on. The Stars stranded a dozen base runners over the last eight innings to lose in walk-off fashion for a second straight night.

Lucroy's lead off long ball in the second inning gave the Stars a 1-0 lead and marked the second straight night they had scored first after the Biscuits had tallied first in the first three games of the series. It was only the sixth home run allowed by Biscuits' starter Brandon Mann in 88 innings. Chris Nowak led off the bottom half of the frame with his second home run since rejoining the Biscuits to tie the game at one.

Lucroy and Green singled to open the fourth and advanced on a Lorenzo Cain sacrifice bunt that was fielded by the catcher Spring, which left home plate vacated. Lucroy dashed in from third to score, as Mann was breaking toward the plate and unable to corral a throw from first baseman Matt Fields, which also allowed Green to advance to third base. Kevin Melillo followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Green to make it 3-1 Stars.

Rashad Eldridge led off the home sixth with a double, moved to third base on a Brandon Chaves single and scored to trim the visitors' lead to 3-2 when Fernando Cortez grounded into a double play. Stars' starter David Welch was then lifted after 5 2/3 frames, giving up seven hits and striking out two and was followed to the hill by Mike McClendon, who gave up a single to Nowak, who then stole second and scored to tie the game on a base hit by Cody Strait.

Mann was lifted in the seventh with two runners on and one out and replaced by Ryan Reid, who got Shane Justis to bounce into a force play at second base and struck out Anderson to end the threat. Mann left with a no-decision after yielding six hits, walking two and striking out three. The Stars put runners at the corners with one out in the eighth but failed to score, as Reid fanned Melillo and Chuck Caufield to end the inning.

Huntsville opens a five-game series in Jacksonville on Saturday night with right-hander Mike Jones taking the hill against Suns' right-hander Nic Ungs. Coverage of the game begins at 5:50 pm central time and can be heard through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

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Southern League Stories from July 31, 2009


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