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Stanton Powers Suns to Series Sweep

September 7, 2009 - Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars News Release


Mike Stanton hit two tremendous home runs, including a the difference-making grand slam, in Jacksonville's 9-5 come from behind win over Huntsville Monday afternoon to finish off the 2009 regular season. The Suns swept the five-game set to finish the second half with a 47-23 mark and the regular season at 82-58, while the Stars ended the season on a nine-game skid to finish at 25-44 in the second half and 63-75 overall. The Suns took the season series twelve games to three, including eight of ten in Huntsville.

Josh Wahpepha tossed a scoreless sixth inning and handed over a 5-3 lead to Zach Braddock, who gave up three straight singles to load the bases with nobody out. The left-hander fanned Chris De La Cruz and pinch-hitter Ryan Klosterman before Stanton unloaded on a 1-2 offering for his first Jacksonville grand slam, and 16th long ball with the Suns, that put the visitors back in the lead 7-5. Braddock had allowed only one earned run over his first 15 innings before the decisive blow. The Suns added to their lead in the eighth against Mike McClendon on a run-scoring double by Chris Hatcher and a fielding error by Yohannis Perez.

Huntsville put runners at the corners with one out in the home seventh before Drew Anderson struck out and pinch-hitter Mike Brownstein popped up to end the threat. Suns' reliever Chris Leroux got the last out in the seventh and the first two in the eighth before a JR Hopf single and a walk to Michael Garciaparra brought Matt Peterson into the game for the Suns in what turned into a save situation. The right-hander gave up a single to Yohannis Perez that loaded the bases before Freddy Parejo flied out to end the inning. Peterson then set down the side in order in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the series and Southern League record-setting 37th of the season.

Matt Dominguez's sacrifice fly in the second inning gave the Suns a 1-0 lead. Logan Morrison led off the second inning with a walk, stole second and scored when Stanton launched a mammoth home run off the flag pole beyond all three tiers of signage in left field to make it a 3-0 game.

Suns' starter Elih Villanueva retired the first 12 hitters he faced before he walked Jonathan Lucroy to open the fifth inning. Later in the frame, JR Hopf would deliver a two-run single to plate Lucroy and Taylor Green, who had singled, before coming into score on a two-out single by Parejo that tied the game at three.

Stars' starter Cody Scarpetta lasted five frames in his double-A debut, giving up five hits, while walking one and fanning one. Villanueva was lifted after five innings, yielding four hits, walking one and striking out a pair in his second double-A turn.

The Stars loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth against Jay Voss on an error, a pinch-hit single by Chuck Caufield and a walk. Lorenzo Cain fanned for the first out before Hopf's fielder's choice grounder chased home Anderson with the go-ahead run and Caufield scored on a wild pitch to push the home team's lead to two. Huntsville had been held to just two runs in the first 40 innings of the series before breaking through for five in back-to-back frames. The two runs against Voss were the only ones mustered against the Suns bullpen in 16 innings.

The Stars open the North Division playoffs Thursday night with right-hander Josh Butler taking the hill against Tennessee Smokies' left-hander Jeremy Papelbon. Coverage of the game begins at 6:45 pm central time and can be heard through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.



Southern League Stories from September 7, 2009


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