Stars lose wild one against Mudcats

By Aaron Morse

The Huntsville Stars (22-17. 55-54) rallied from seven runs down to force extra innings but fell in 10 frames to the Carolina Mudcats (19-20, 49-59) by a final score of 10-9 Wednesday night.

The game started as a pitcher’s duel. Amaury Rivas retired the first 10 batters he faced while Carolina starter Matt Klinker sent down the first nine batters to come to the plate for the Stars.

Rivas walked Jake Kahaulelio in the fourth; then ran into some bad luck. Dave Sappelt hit a chopper up the middle that Zelous Wheeler gloved. It looked like the Stars were going to be able to turn two, but Brett Lawrie got in Wheeler’s way, preventing Wheeler from tagging the bag and everyone was safe. Wheeler’s failure to tag the bag was ruled an error. Luis Terrero made the Stars pay with a double down the left field line, drivin in Kahaulelio and moving Sappelt around to third. A ground-out scored Sappelt to make it 2-0 Mudcats. Eric Eymann followed with a single up the gut, scoring Terrero, but Eymann was cut down at second base to end the inning by Anderson De La Rosa as he attempted to advance on the throw to the plate.

Huntsville struck back against Klinker in the bottom of the frame as Lee Haydel led-off with a single and Lawrie doubled him home.

Rivas appeared to be on his way to an easy fifth inning as he retired the first two batters. Klinker was somehow able to loop a single in to shallow right and Kris Negron ripped a triple down the line to make the score 4-1 Carolina.

The sixth inning is when the game got crazy. Carolina loaded the bases against Rivas with nobody out. Eymann cleared the bases with a triple and just like that it was 7-1. That was it for Rivas as Mike Guerrero brought in Nick Green. An error by Chris Nowak on a sharply hit grounder to the right side scored Eymann and it was 8-1 Mudcats. Green got out of the rest of the inning with no further damage.

Rivas went 5+ innings, giving up eight runs, four of them earned, on seven hits. He walked two and struck-out eight.

The seven-run deficit seemed insurmountable considering Huntsville was facing the man with the best ERA in the Southern League. Yet they wasted no time rallying in the bottom half of the frame. Pinch hitter Patrick Arlis singled to left and Haydel drew a walk. Lawrie ripped his second double of the night, driving in Arlis and moving Haydel to third. A single to center off the bat of Zelous Wheeler scored Haydel and moved Lawrie to third base. Drew Anderson drew a walk and Klinker was removed from the ballgame.

New pitcher Ruben Medina immediately surrendered a RBI single to Chris Nowak and the Stars pulled to within four. With the bases still loaded, Taylor Green unleashed a grand slam home run to tie the game at eight.

No one would score again until the 10th inning. The Stars did have their fair share of chances though. They got the lead-off man on in the eighth and ninth but failed to score.

Carolina got to reliever Jim Henderson (4-4) in the 10th. With one away, the pesky Sappelt singled to center. Henderson struck-out Luis Terrero but on strike three Sappelt was able to steal second base. The right-hander was one strike away from getting out of the inning unscathed. Brandon Yarbrough wouldn’t let him though as he singled to center, driving in Sappelt to make the score 9-8 Carolina. Yarbrough advanced to second on the throw home. Eymann drew a walk and Jose Castro picked a perfect time to get his first hit of the night as he singled to center to drive in Yarbrough for a very important insurance run. Chris Cody entered and got the Stars out of the inning with no further damage.

Huntsville refused to go down quietly though against Carolina closer Federico Baez. Haydel started the rally with a single to center. One out later Wheeler blooped a singled down the line, advancing Haydel to third. Anderson drew his third walk of the contest, loading the bases for Nowak. The big slugger smacked a sacrifice fly to draw the Stars to within one.

Green, who already had a grand slam on the night, just missed an extra base hit as he still drove the ball a long ways towards right-center field despite breaking his bat. Unfortunately, Terrero was able to chase it down and the Stars fell one run short.

The loss breaks Huntsville’s five game winning streak and moves them one game back of the Tennessee Smokies in the north division.

They look to clinch the series against Carolina Thursday night as they send Andre Lamontagne (3-0, 2.76 ERA) to the mound. First pitch is at 7:00 p.m. central time on the Huntsville Stars Radio Network.