Walk Off Win for Looks to End Trip

Published on April 29, 2009 under Southern League (SL1)
Huntsville Stars News Release


Andrew Lambo crunched a walk-off home run to lead off the tenth inning to lift the Lookouts to a dramatic 7-6 come from behind win over the Stars Wednesday afternoon in the last of a five-game set at AT&T Field. Chattanooga ended the series by winning the last three games to improve to 6-14, while Huntsville dipped to 10-10 and to a half game behind Tennessee in the North Division. The Stars finished their first road trip of the year splitting 10 games.

Lambo launched a 1-0 offering from Derrick Ellison over the wall in right field for his third home run of season to hand the Stars their second walk off loss of the road trip. The young left fielder wound up a triple shy of hitting for the cycle, scored three times and drove in a pair. Ellison, who had grabbed his first double-A win and save on the trip, suffered the loss.

Huntsville scored three times in the eighth inning to regain the lead at 6-4 in a back and forth affair. Drew Anderson, brought on as a pinch-hitter against the right-hander Matt Sartor, delivered his first hit against a left-hand thrower when he doubled off of Carmen Cali, who was brought on to counter the Stars' switch, to drive in two and put the visitors back on top. Shane Justis was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in another run but the lead didn't last very long. Ellison opened the bottom half of the inning on the hill and walked Lambo to open the frame. Jamie Hoffman followed with a double to plate Lambo and came into score to tie the game when Gabriel Martinez singled off the glove of a diving Justis at second base. The Stars loaded the bases with one out in the ninth against Cali but Anderson bounced into a double play to end the frame.

The Stars scored in the first two innings against James Adkins with ground ball outs. Vinny Rottino bounced into a double play in the first with runners at the corners to chase home Justis and Chuck Caufield's ground out to second base in the second inning plated Chris Errecart to give the visitors a 2-0 edge. The Lookouts tallied a run in the home second when Martinez led off with a double, moved to third base on a ground out and crossed the plate on a JD Closser base hit. Chattanooga tied the game in the fourth on a Victor Mercedes scoring fly ball.

Adam Godwin drew a leadoff walk in the fifth, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a Lambo double. Mark Holliman uncorked a wild pitch to move Lambo to third and he then scored on a base hit by Hoffman that gave the Looks a 4-2 lead and knocked the Stars' right-hander out of the game. Holliman was charged with four runs on eight hits, while walking two and striking out two.

Adkins committed a throwing error in the sixth inning that allowed Kevin Melillo to score from second base to pull the Stars within 4-3. The right-hander got out of further trouble by striking out the next two hitters and recording a ground ball out to strand two runners. He gave up six hits, walked two and struck out two over his six innings of work.

The Stars return home Thursday to open a crucial five-game series against Tennessee with right-hander Jeremy Jeffress taking the hill against Smokies' left-hander Casey Lambert. Coverage of the game begins at 6:45 pm central time heard through and can be the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

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Southern League Stories from April 29, 2009


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