Huntsville ends first half with disapointment

Published on June 17, 2008 under Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars News Release


Ryan Ketchner spun 7 1/3 impressive innings and Mike Wilson and Luis Valbuena had key two-run hits to lead West Tenn to a 5-1 victory over Huntsville Tuesday night and a first half North Division title. The Diamond Jaxx improved to 42-29 on the season and grabbed the first in-season playoff game in the Southern League since 2000, while the Stars dipped to 41-30 overall and 0-1 in the second half. The two teams were not separated by more than one game over the final 25 games of the half after the Diamond Jaxx overcame a five-game deficit to pull into a first place tie on May 22.

Brent Johnson opened the game with a single before Mike Saunders grounder back to the mound was fielded by pitcher Steve Hammond, who made an errant throw to second base, allowing Johnson to remain on the bases and Saunders to reach safely at first. The runners advanced on a Mark Kiger sacrifice bunt and scored when Wilson doubled over the head of Michael Brantley in center field. Hammond had not been scored on in the first inning over his last 10 starts dating back to April 19 at Mississippi.

Kiger committed a fielding error on a ground ball hit by Angel Salome to open the home second before Matt LaPorta singled and Cole Gillespie's first sacrifice bunt of the season pushed the runners along. Chris Errecart's line drive sacrifice fly to center then plated Salome with the home team's lone run. The league's best hitting team was held to four hits, matching their lowest total of the season.

Johan Limonta led off the fourth with a single and moved to second base on a Hammond wild pitch and to third base on a wild throw towards third by catcher Carlos Corporan. The West Tenn first baseman had rounded the bag at second and was halfway to third base before Corporan's throw sailed into left field. Adam Moore made it a 3-1 West Tenn lead with a base hit to right field to drive in his 12th run of the season against the Stars.

Limonta was thrown out at the plate for the second out in the sixth after a single by Jon Nelson to right field. Jeffrey Dominguez followed with a base hit before both runners moved up on a Hammond wild pitch and scored on a base hit by Luis Valbuena to make it 5-1. The two-out hit knocked Hammond out of the game and prevented him from going at least six innings in a 12th straight start. The southpaw suffered the loss to fall to 7-4 after yielding a season-high 10 hits, fanning two and not walking a batter. Joe Bateman retired all 10 hitters he faced in his longest outing of the season.

Meanwhile, Ketchner allowed only two more Alcides Escobar singles through the seventh inning and was taken out in the eighth after hitting Corporan and yielding a Brantley base hit. Shawn Kelley, who began the year in the Midwest League, took over and got Escobar to line out and struck out Mat Gamel, the league's leading hitter, to end the frame. He walked LaPorta with one out in the ninth prior to Cole Gillespie bouncing into an inning-ending and game-ending double play to earn his first double-A save.

The series continues Wednesday night with Hunsville left-hander Derek Miller taking the hill against West Tenn right-hander Doug Fister. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 pm central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com and www.730ump.com.

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Southern League Stories from June 17, 2008


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