One More One-Run Win for Stars

Published on April 25, 2009 under Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars News Release


Jeremy Jeffress worked five strong innings and the bullpen survived a shaky ninth inning to preserve Huntsville's 5-4 victory in the opener of a five-game set Saturday night at AT&T Field. The Stars won their third straight to improve to 9-7 and remain in first place in the North, while the Lookouts lost a seventh straight to fall to 3-13 and six games behind in the division. Eight of the Stars' nine wins have come by one run and 14 of their 16 games have been decided by three runs or less.

Omar Aguilar took the hill in the bottom of the ninth with a 5-1 lead but managed to record only one out. He gave up a two-run double to Josh Bell and was lifted after walking JD Closser with one out. Robert Hinton took over and walked Victor Mercedes to load the bases before pinch-hitter Gabriel Martinez flied out to shallow center field for the second out. It looked like Hinton would get out of trouble when James Tomlin lifted a pop up behind the mound but the ball landed between Hinton, second baseman Shane Justis and first baseman Chris Errecart for a base hit that brought Bell home to cut the lead to one. Hinton then ended the game by getting Justin Sellers to bounce into a force play at second base and earned his second save in as many days.

Drew Anderson led off the fifth inning with a walk, moved to second base when Errecart was hit by a pitch, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored to tie the game at one on a Freddy Parejo sacrifice fly that also moved Errecart to third base. Yohannis Perez was then intentionally passed for Jeffress, who dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Perez to second base. Adam Stern singled into right to deliver Errecart with the go-ahead run but Perez was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

Justis started the sixth inning with a double, stayed put when Kevin Melillo walked and they both came into score when Jonathan Lucroy followed with a double that pushed the visitors' lead to 4-1. Lucroy moved to third base on a ground out and came into score on a single by Errecart that knocked starter Jesus Castillo out of the game. The right-hander was tagged with the loss after yielding five runs on six hits, walking three and fanning a pair over 5.1 innings.

Jeffress put together his longest outing of the season, allowing a run on three hits, while walking two and matching a season-high with eight strikeouts. Mike McClendon worked three shutout innings and retired nine of the ten hitters he faced in his longest outing. The win by Jeffress was just the second for a Stars' starting pitcher this season.

The series continues Sunday afternoon with southpaw Chris Cody taking the hill against Lookouts' right-hander Tim Corcoran. Coverage of the game begins at 1:00 pm central time and can be heard through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

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Southern League Stories from April 25, 2009


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