Connor Shreve
Carolina’s Tom Cochran (3-2 2.62) dazzled on the mound Sunday afternoon to lead the Mudcats to their second straight victory at home, 5-1 over Huntsville (29-35). On a sizzling summer afternoon, Carolina (27-36) rallied for one big inning behind the team ace, it was all that Carolina needed to even the series at two games apiece.
Huntsville’s best early chance at a score was stopped in the second with pitcher Amaury Rivas batting. Dayton Buller and Chuckie Caufield followed a Steffan Wilson leadoff walk with singles. With one out Amaury Rivas, 0-15 this season, grounded in to a 3-2-3 double play to end the frame.
For the first time in four games at Five County Stadium, the Mudcats struck first. In the third inning Carolina tallied five hits to plate five runs. Rivas (5-5 3.04) was not helped by numerous Stars miscues. Buller was charged with a passed ball which interrupted a single and walk to start the inning. Kris Negron and Jose Castro followed up a foul bunt strikeout with singles to open the scoring. A visit to the mound from Stars pitching coach John Curtis apparently did nothing to calm the emotional Rivas who allowed two more RBI singles after the conference. Center fielder Lorenzo Cain committed two errors on the last hit to allow an extra run.
Rivas’ day was cut short thanks to the third inning. That was the only bump, albeit a big one, on the road Rivas traveled Sunday. He delivered 69 pitches over six complete innings, the third being the only inning Rivas threw to more than three batters. Huntsville’s ace allowed five runs, four of which were earned, on seven hits while striking out five Mudcats and walking one. He is 1-5 since going 4-0 and being named the Milwaukee Brewers minor league pitcher of the Month for April. Next time out, Rivas will still be searching for his first win since May 18; The May victory was a shining one run performance that held the first placed Smokies to just one run.
The Stars only run came on a seventh inning RBI single off the bat of Lee Haydel, who brought in Caufield after the left fielders one out double. Daryl Harang relieved Cochran and stranded two base runners by forcing Brett Lawrie to ground in to an inning ending double play.
The current ten game road trip closes Monday in Zebulon, NC. First pitch is set for 11:00 a.m. (CDT). Huntsville will win its first series in eight tries with a victory in the fifth and final game of the current series. Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Josh Butler (0-2 5.14) is scheduled to make his fourth rehab start with the Stars before a day off Tuesday. Monday’s contest will be streamed live on www.huntsvillestars.com and pre-game coverage begins 15 minutes before first pitch.
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