Smokies Beat Stars 3-2...Rain Washes Out Game 2
Published on May 4, 2009 under Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Smokies (12-9) battled and eventually overtook the reeling Huntsville Stars 3-2 in the seven inning contest Monday night at Joe Davis Stadium. Homeruns by Tony Thomas and Blake Lalli along with an RBI-double by Ty Wright proved to be all the offense needed for the win. A heavy rain shower cancelled the second game of the scheduled doubleheader.
With the victory, the Smokies push their North division lead to two and a half games over the Stars. Huntsville (10-12) has now lost five in a row.
The Smokies took the lead for good in the sixth inning. Darwin Barney got the rally started with a lead-off double to center. Wright immediately followed with a two-bagger to right that scored Barney for the Smokies' winning run. Wright would make it to third on a bunt sacrifice by Lalli. However, the Stars got out of the jam when reliever Robert Hinton got Marquez Smith to hit a soft comebacker. The Stars then tagged out Wright trying to score.
James Russell (2-2) pitched two scoreless innings in relief of starter Marcos Mateo to pick up his second victory. Former Huntsville Star Vince Perkins kept his former club off the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh to earn his second save for Tennessee.
Huntsville got the scoring started with an RBI single by Kevin Melillo in the first. The two teams would battle through two shutout innings before Blake Lalli tied the game with a solo shot to right in the fourth inning. The Stars did not take long getting the lead back, scoring a run with a single from Adam Stern. Again, the Smokies stormed back thanks to another solo shot in the fifth. Tony Thomas recorded his fifth round-tripper with a rocket to left, tying the game at 2-2.
The Smokies slapped the Stars' Chris Cody with his first loss of the season. He allowed three runs on six hits in 5.1 innings of work. Tennessee's starter, Mateo, pitched four innings, allowing 2 runs on four hits.
The Smokies finish the long road trip with a five-game set against the Mississippi Braves at Trustmark Park on Tuesday. The first game is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. eastern. Tennessee's Hung Wen Chen (2-1) will face off against the Braves' Ryne Reynoso (0-2).
Southern League Stories from May 4, 2009
- Biscuits Sweep Doubleheader - Montgomery Biscuits
- Poreda No-Hits West Tenn in Rain-Shortened Game - Birmingham Barons
- Carolina topped by Chattanooga - Carolina Mudcats
- Smokies Beat Stars 3-2...Rain Washes Out Game 2 - Knoxville Smokies
- Smokies Edge Stars in Another Close One - Huntsville Stars
- Jaxx lose rain shortened game, game two postponed Monday night - Jackson Generals
- Riggans to Rehab With Biscuits - Montgomery Biscuits
- BayBears Hold off Suns to Grab Four out of Five - Mobile BayBears
- BayBears Claw Suns - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Hankerd Named SL Hitter of the Week - Mobile BayBears
- Hankerd Named SL Hitter of the Week - Mobile BayBears
- Jacksonville Suns Transaction - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Southern League Names Players of the Week - SL1
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