SL1 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

Suns clinch series at Huntsville in tight third game

Published on May 26, 2006 under Southern League (SL1)
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp News Release


Huntsville, Ala. - The Jacksonville Suns and Huntsville Stars played in a 1-1 pitcher's battle Thursday night at Joe Davis Stadium until a flurry of late inning runs put the Suns over the Stars by the score of 5-2.

Jacksonville opened the scoring in the first inning as Wilkin Ruan scored on a Matt Kemp single to open a 1-0 lead. Huntsville answered in the home half of the inning as Travis Ezi walked, moved to second on a hit batter, then to third on a double play before scoring on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1.

Huntsville starter Travis Phelps allowed only three hits after the first inning through his seven innings of work. Phelps did walk five Suns batters while striking out three. He left the ballgame after the seventh inning with the game tied at 1-1.

Suns starter Joel Hanrahan answered the bell with his best outing of 2006, as he allowed only two hits through his seven innings of work. The 2003 Southern League Pitcher of the Year walked two while striking out six.

The Jacksonville offense finally broke through on the Huntsville bullpen as reliever Andy Pratt walked a man and hit a batter with two out in the eighth inning. Justin Ruggiano came through with an infield single off of third baseman Adam Heether's glove, allowing A.J. Zapp to score from second base to give Jacksonville a 2-1 lead. Tony Abreu later scored as Heether threw wild after stabbing another grounder and the Suns opened up a 3-1 advantage.

Huntsville began to climb back off of the mat in the bottom of the eighth inning as Carlos Alvarez replaced Hanrahan. Alvarez allowed a leadoff single to JC Boscan, and then induced a pop out from Guilder Rodriguez. The next three batters singled off of Alvarez as the fourth hit drove in a Huntsville run to make the Jacksonville lead 3-2. Suns closer Mark Alexander then came into the game and with the bases loaded, Adam Heether flied a ball that landed three feet short of the left field wall and only inches foul to prolong the at-bat. After the count went full, Alexander induced a hard grounder to third and the Suns infield turned the threat- and inning-ending double play.

Jacksonville added two insurance runs in the ninth inning on an RBI infield single from Andy LaRoche and a sacrifice fly from A.J. Zapp.

Alexander saved his ninth game of the season with a one-hit bottom of the ninth inning.

Hanrahan improved to 4-2 in the victory while Pratt fell to 1-2 in the loss.

The Suns win combined with the Montgomery win keeps Jacksonville a half-game back of the first place Montgomery Biscuits. The Suns and Biscuits meet in a five-game series beginning Sunday in Montgomery.

Game four of the series between the Suns and Stars is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. ET Friday. Fans can follow the action on AM 930 The Fox or online at jaxsuns.com or milb.com.

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Southern League Stories from May 26, 2006


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