Stars go the extra mile to defeat Braves

By Aaron Morse

Chris Errecart doubled home Lorenzo Cain and Brett Lawrie in the top of the 10th as the Huntsville Stars (22-20) knocked off the Mississippi Braves (20-22) by a final score of 4-2 Friday night.

The Stars got on the board in the top of the second against Braves’ starter Mike Minor by playing some small ball. With nobody out, Zelous Wheeler doubled to left. After Chris Errecart was hit by a pitch, Chuckie Caufield moved the runners over with a beautiful sacrifice bunt. With the infield back, Andy Machado hit a grounder to short to drive in Wheeler and give the Stars a 1-0 lead.

Stars starter Chris Cody would get an assist from his defense in the bottom of the third. With two down and a man on second, Mauro Gomez sent a single into left that Haydel fielded. Donell Linares attempted to score on the play and Haydel gunned him down at the plate.

Machado continued his solid day at the plate in the top of the fourth. The inning started with the old lead-off base-on-balls to Wheeler. Zelous would steal second and advance to third on a Caufield single. That’s when Machado drilled a double to right to plate Wheeler and put runners at 2nd and 3rd with only one down. But Sean McCraw would strike-out and Cody grounded out to end the inning with the Stars up 2-0.

But the Braves would threaten in the bottom of the fourth. They loaded the bases with nobody out and appeared to be on the cusp of getting a crooked number in the runs column. On a pay-off pitch to Alejandro Machado, the shortstop lined out to Andy Machado who coolly flipped the ball to Brett Lawrie for a 6-4 double-play. Cody was able to get the pitcher Mike Minor to hit a deep fly-ball to left-field where Lee Haydel chased it down for the third out of the inning.

Mississippi would cut the Stars’ lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a solo homer off the bat of Eric Duncan.

Cody walked a tightrope through his five innings of work, as the Braves left nine stranded while he scattered eight hits, surrendering only the lone Duncan solo shot.

Donovan Hand relieved Cody and tossed two perfect innings of relief. But he got into a bit of a pickle in the eighth. With nobody out, Gomez doubled to center. Willie Cabrera followed that with a single to right, putting runners at the corners. That would be all for Hand as Mike Guerrero chose to bring in the lefty Casey Baron. Cabrera would steal second base to put runners at 2nd and 3rd. Cody Johnson worked Baron to a full count and drew a walk. Once again the Braves had the bases full with no outs. Orlando Mercado delivered a sacrifice fly to left that scored Gomez to tie the game at two.

But Baron was able to escape the inning with no further damage as he picked off Cabrera and got Machado to ground out.

The Stars tried to respond immediately in the top of the ninth. New pitcher Brett Butts hit Chris Errecart. That was followed by a bunt from Scott Krieger going the Stars way as Butts couldn’t handle the ball, allowing everyone to arrive safely at their respective bags. Machado would bunt both runners over, putting runners at 2nd and 3rd with one out. But Sean McCraw struck-out, leaving it up to Juan Sanchez. But Sanchez would ground-out, allowing Butts to escape the jam.

Baron walked the lead-off man Juan Gonzalez in the bottom of the 9th inning. A sacrifice bunt moved Gonzalez to second base. After that, Stars decided to intentionally walk Linares. It paid off when Duncan lined into an unassisted double play as Chris Errecart caught the ball and tagged out Linares to end the inning.

In the top of the 10th, Cain drew a lead-off walk. Brent Brewer bunted him over to second. After the Braves intentionally walked Lawrie, Wheeler drew a walk to load the bases. That’s when Errecart delivered his big double to plate Cain and Lawrie and give the Stars a 4-2 lead.

Brandon Kintzler nailed down his eighth save of the year in the bottom of the tenth, which gives him a tie for the Southern League lead.

Baron’s (1-0) two innings of work out of the bullpen were enough to get him his first win of the year. Meanwhile Butts (0-1) took the loss.

No one on the Stars tallied a multi-hit game, but Machado drove in two of the four runs.

The victory brings the Stars to within three games of the division-leading Smokies, who lost to Jacksonville.

Huntsville sends Mark Rogers (2-3, 4.20 ERA) to the mound Saturday as they look to clinch the series. Join us starting at 6:50 for the Window World Pre-Game Report. You can catch all the action on 1450 AM/92.9 FM WTKI and the Stars Radio Network. The game can always be heard on www.huntsvillestars.com as well.