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Krynzel's Catch Preserves 1-0 Stars Win

May 2, 2003 - Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars News Release


Huntsville, AL – It would have been a shame to let this one slip away. Twenty-year-old right-hander Mike Jones authored seven brilliant innings. The script called for a Stars 1-0 shutout, but Chattanooga's Stephen Smitherman nearly turned A Midsummer Night's Dream into Macbeth.

With Chris Haas on first and none out in the ninth, Smitherman launched a searing drive to right-center. Centerfielder Dave Krynzel raced deep into the alley and leapt at the wall to rob Smitherman of a certain extra-base hit. Haas had already rounded second and Krynzel threw a dart to first base, completing a spectacular, game-saving double play. Reliever Matt Childers retired Darnell Stenson to close out a 1-0 victory over Chattanooga on Friday night at Joe Davis Stadium. Huntsville remains two games up on second-place West Tenn in the Southern League West Division.

"Krynzel's catch is the best I've ever seen at Joe Davis Stadium," Stars General Manager Bryan Dingo said.

Krynzel preserved a victory for Jones, who dominated Chattanooga over seven innings, his longest stint of the season. Jones allowed only three baserunners on two singles and one walk. He fanned a season-high eight and permitted just one runner past first all night. Jones retired the first eight batters he faced before allowing a single to Lookouts pitcher Ryan Mottl, then he set down another seven in a row. Jones (4-1) has now won three starts in a row and four of his last five.

Huntsville's lone run came in the first against Mottl, who tossed six outstanding innings. Ryan Knox led off with a double and took third on Krynzel's sacrifice bunt. Corey Hart's groundout to third scored Knox for a 1-0 lead the Stars never relinquished. Mottle suffered the loss despite striking out a season-high 10 and surrendering but one run on four hits and three walks. Childers notched his first save for Huntsville with a scoreless ninth after Matt Hammons blanked the Lookouts in the eighth.

The Stars won despite striking out a season-high 15 times against three different Chattanooga pitchers. Mottl fanned 10, Scott Dunn struck out the side in the seventh and Corey DeHart whiffed two in the eighth. The Stars previous high this year was 12 strikeouts in a 4-3, 15-inning loss at Orlando on April 14.

Huntsville matches righty Pedro Liriano (1-3, 3.62) against Lookouts right-hander Dustin Moseley (2-0, 2.18) in game three of the series Saturday night at Joe Davis Stadium. Game time is 7:05 on Boeing Foam Baseball Night.



Southern League Stories from May 2, 2003


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