SL1 Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

Suns comeback for fourth win in Huntsville

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


Huntsville, Ala. - After trailing 4-0 in the third inning, the Jacksonville Suns scored six unanswered runs Friday night including a four-run fourth inning to overtake the Huntsville Stars for a 6-4 victory in front of 4,920 at Joe W. Davis Stadium.

Jacksonville fell behind early as starter Alvis Ojeda allowed a first inning RBI single from Ron Acuna to give Huntsville a 1-0 lead. The Stars continued to score in the third inning as Greg Sain belted his eighth homerun of the season, a two-run shot that extended the lead to 3-0. Adam Heether followed Sain's shot with one of his own, his first Double-A homerun to open up a 4-0 lead.

The Suns offense did not take long to respond as in the top of the fourth, following a leadoff walk from Chin-Lung Hu, Matt Kemp belted his seventh homerun of the season, a shot just over the centerfield wall, that cut the Huntsville lead in half at 4-2. Andy LaRoche next walked and Craig Brazell doubled him home to cut the deficit to 4-3. Later in the inning pitcher Alvis Ojeda came through with a sacrifice fly to complete the comeback and tie the game at 4-4.

After pitching a perfect fourth inning, Ojeda gave the game to reliever Adam Thomas. In his fourth outing with Jacksonville, he slammed the door on a struggling Huntsville offense by allowing only two hits in three innings plus two batters.

On the offensive side, Thomas popped a ball into short right field in the sixth inning that dropped between three Stars defenders to score Justin Ruggiano and give Jacksonville the lead for good at 5-4.

Thomas left the game in the eighth inning after allowing the first two men of the frame to safely reach. Casey Hoorelbeke took the ball which spelled the beginning of the end for Huntsville. The six-foot-eight right hander allowed a sacrifice bunt for the first out that moved the runners to second and third. The next batter one-hopped a ball back to the mound and after a short run-down, the lead runner was tagged for the second out. With men on second and third and two out, Hoorelbeke then induced a fly ball to centerfield for the final out of the inning.

The Suns offense put another run on the board in the ninth inning on an error by Huntsville first baseman Greg Sain to finish the scoring at 6-4.

Hoorelbeke pitched a perfect ninth inning to save his third game of the season. Thomas picked up the victory to improve to 2-1 while Brett Evert lost his first relief outing with Huntsville.

The fifth Jacksonville win in a row combined with Montgomery's loss to Mobile propels the Suns into first place in the Southern League's South Division. The Montgomery Biscuits and Jacksonville Suns meet in a five-game series at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery beginning Sunday.

Jacksonville will try for the first five-game sweep in the Southern League this season in Saturday's fifth game at Joe Davis Stadium. RHP Spike Lundberg will face Stars LHP Jeff Housman in a 3:05 p.m. ET first pitch. Fans can follow the action live 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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