Stars Win Fifth Straight with Victory over Pensacola

Published on July 27, 2012 under Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars News Release


PENSACOLA, FL. - On Thursday night, the Huntsville Stars edged out the Pensacola Blue Wahoos by a score of 3-2 at Blue Wahoos Park for their fifth consecutive victory.

Trying to rebound from two straight losses, Pensacola took an early lead off of Stars starting pitcher Josh Stinson. In the second inning, left fielder Donald Lutz launched his second home run on the season over the right field wall to give the Blue Wahoos a 1-0 lead.

In the third inning though, the Stars were able to even up the ballgame. With one out, center fielder Josh Prince doubled off of Blue Wahoos starter Daniel Corcino. As shortstop Tommy Manzella stepped into the batters box, Prince drew a balk from Corcino to take third base. Later on in the at-bat, Manzella singled home Prince to tie it up at 1-1.

The score remained that way until the fourth inning where each team traded runs. In the top half of the frame, Stars left fielder Khris Davis hit a solo home run to put the Stars up 2-1. For Davis, the homer was his fourth in as many games and his seventh on the season.

However, in the bottom half of the frame, David Vidal began the comeback for Pensacola with a one-out double. After advancing to third on a single by Lutz, a throwing error on a pickoff attempt by Stinson allowed Vidal to score to tie up the ballgame again.

With the score remaining tied until the seventh inning, the Stars played some small ball for their last run. To begin the inning, third baseman Hainley Statia and right fielder Kentrail Davis led off with back-to-back singles. They then advanced to second and third respectively on an error by Pensacola shortstop Billy Hamilton on a Domnit Bolivar grounder. With the bases loaded, Prince put down a successful suicide squeeze that scored Statia to put Huntsville up for good.

On the pitching side, Stinson improved to 11-5 on the season after giving up two runs and six hits in six innings of work. The win moved the 24-year-old righty into a tie for the league lead in victories with Tennessee Smokies starting pitcher Nick Struck.

Aside from Stinson, the Stars got two innings of scoreless relief from RHP Darren Byrd and a scoreless ninth from RHP Brandon Kintzler for his sixth save on the year.

For the Stars, their five straight wins is their second-longest winning streak of the season. The five straight wins on the road is their longest such streak away from Joe Davis Stadium this year.

The Stars and Blue Wahoos will continue their series on Friday night with game four of a five-game set. First pitch is at 7:00 PM.

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Southern League Stories from July 27, 2012


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