Stars split twin bill

July 24, 2008 - Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars News Release


David Welch and Juan Sandoval combined on a one-hitter in Huntsville's 3-0 win in game two that gave the visitors a doubleheader split Thursday night at Five County Stadium. The Stars improved to 18-15 in the second half and moved to within a game of division leading Tennessee, while the Mudcats dipped to 17-16 in the second half and fell two games off the pace. Carolina has taken nine of the 14 games between the two teams this season.

Lorenzo Cain led off game two with a triple and Guilder Rodriguez walked before Willie Glen fanned Mat Gamel and Angel Salome in succession. Jay Gibbons then singled into center field to plate Cain and Cole Gillespie followed with a ground rule double to deliver Rodriguez to make it 2-0 Huntsville. Glen was taken out after three innings, giving up the two runs on four hits, walking one and striking out six.

Cole Gillespie led off the fourth with a single, stole second and moved to third base on a wild pitch by Tim Corcoran on the same offering and scored on a base hit by Michael Garciaparra to extend the visitors lead to 3-0. Garciaparra took over in game one for an injured Alcides Escobar, who left with an apparent finger injury after the third inning.

John Raynor's two-out single in the third was the only hit allowed by Welch, who picked off the league's leader in stolen bases to end the inning. The left-hander had allowed only two base runners through five before Raynor reached on an error and Dante Brinkley walked with two outs in the sixth. Welch then got Lee Mitchell to bounce into a force out at second to end the inning and close his performance, as he became the first 10-game winner in the league. Welch walked two and matched a season-high with six strikeouts before Sandoval worked a scoreless seventh to earn his 13th save.

Huntsville got the scoring started in game one in the second on a bases loaded walk to Guilder Rodriguez before pitcher Donovan Hand grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Mudcats answered in the bottom of the inning when Gaby Sanchez singled and came in to score on a double by Mitchell, who moved to third base on a throwing error to the plate by Rodriguez and scored on a Bryan Peterson sacrifice fly.

The Stars regained the lead in the third on a run-scoring single by Mat Gamel, who broke an 0-for-16 drought, and a sacrifice fly by Gibbons, making his first start since he joined the team at the start of the series. Carolina tied the game in the bottom half of the frame when Raynor led off with a double and then, with one out, stole third base and scored on a throwing error on the play by catcher Angel Salome.

The Mudcats took the lead for good in the fourth when Mitchell walked, moved to third base on a Peterson single and scored on a Brad Davis sacrifice fly. Chris Coghlan's lead off long ball and another Davis scoring fly ball in the sixth pushed the lead to 6-3. Hand finished what he started, giving up six runs, four earned, on seven hits and suffered the loss to fall to 1-4. He walked three and struck out one over his six innings of work.

Anibel Sanchez retired eight in a row before a Rodriguez single to lead off the seventh inning. Cain walked with one out before Garciaparra lined out to first base on a leaping catch by Gaby Sanchez, who tagged out Cain to end the game. Anibel Sanchez went the distance, yielding seven hits, walking four and fanning seven to earn the win in his second rehab start with the Mudcats, as he tried to make it back to the major leagues.

The series continues Friday night with Stars' right-hander Nic Ungs taking the hill against Mudcats right-hander Brett Sinkbeil. Coverage of the game begins at 6:00 pm central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com and www.730ump.com.



Southern League Stories from July 24, 2008


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