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Late-Inning Rally Sinks Stars

August 4, 2013 - Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars News Release


The Huntsville Stars were unable to survive a four-run ninth inning rally from the Mississippi Braves on Saturday night in a 6-5 defeat at Joe Davis Stadium.

After a 13-2 loss on Friday night against the M-Braves, the Stars fell behind early in the top of the first inning. Following a leadoff single and a stolen base from outfielder Mycal Jones, second basemen Tommy LaStella ripped a RBI double down the right-field line against Stars starting pitcher Andy Moye to make the score 1-0. For LaStella, the double increased his hitting streak to 21 games, shattering the Mississipi Braves franchise record set by Carl Loadenthal in 2007.

However, the M-Braves lead did not last long. In the bottom of the second inning, Stars outfielder Brock Kjeldgaard launched a solo homer well over the left-field wall against M-Braves starting pitcher Gus Schlosser to tie up the game.

From an offensive perspective, that was not nearly the end of the night for Kjeldgaard. After the M-Braves came through with a solo homer of their own from shortstop Jaime Pedroza in the third inning, the table was set for the 27-year-old Canadian-born outfielder in the sixth inning.

With the Stars trailing by one and runners on first and third, Kjeldgaard drove a two-out, two-strike pitch out of the park to give the Stars their first lead of the night. The multi-homer game was Kjeldgaard's third of the year, in which his 18 total homeruns on the season is second in the Southern League only behind fellow Stars slugger Jason Rogers.

Speaking of Rogers, his sixth inning single increased his own personal hitting streak to 16 games. It is the longest hitting streak for a Stars player since current Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy had a 22-game hit streak in 2008.

Huntsville held the lead until the top of the ninth inning where the M-Braves mounted their rally against Stars closer Greg Holle (L, 3-3). After Holle retired Pedroza to begin the frame, outfielder Jose Martinez and first basemen Christian Marrero started off the threat with back-to-back singles. After a RBI double from outfielder Dan Brewer cut the Stars lead to one, a two-run single from Jones put the M-Braves back on top. Two batters later, a RBI single from LaStella made the score 6-4.

In the bottom of the ninth, a RBI single from second basemen Nick Shaw brought the Stars within one run and put runners at first and third with one out. Unfortunately, M-Braves righty Ryne Harper (W, 5-2) struck out the next two batters he faced to secure the win for Mississippi.

The loss for the Stars was their second straight against the M-Braves to start off the series and fifth in a row overall.

On Sunday, the Stars will play game three of a five-game series at Joe Davis Stadium against the Mississippi Braves. Huntsville will send RHP Taylor Jungmann (9-7, 3.76 ERA) to the bump while Tennessee will counter with RHP Mitch Atkins (3-1, 2.76 ERA). First pitch is 6:43 ET.

For more information on the Huntsville Stars, visit huntsvillestars.com or call (256) 882-2562.



Southern League Stories from August 4, 2013


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