Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Montgomery Biscuits Lose 8-3 To Huntsville Stars

Montgomery Biscuits[Via email from the Montgomery Biscuits' broadcaster Jon Laaser.]

The Huntsville Stars handed the Biscuits their seventh straight loss, 8-3, claiming the opener of a five-game series on Monday night at Riverwalk Stadium. Montgomery's current losing-streak is now a franchise record.

The Biscuits struck first against Stars' starter Mike Jones in the second inning. Chris Nowak started the inning with a clean-single and Cody Cipriano moved him to second with a single. Matt Fields then brought home the first run of the game with an RBI single to put the Biscuits out in front, 1-0.

Huntsville snared the lead with a three-run fourth inning, with all the damage coming against Biscuits' starter Brian Baker with two outs. Baker had retired nine consecutive batters before he walked Jonathan Lucroy with two out in the inning. Taylor Green brought Lucroy around from first with a double on one hop off the right-center field wall. After Lucroy tied the ballgame, Lorenzo Cain gave the Stars a 3-1 lead with a two-run home run to left field.

Montgomery got one of the runs back off Jones in the bottom of the inning. Nevin Ashley doubled with one out and a batter later, Pedro Powell shaved the Huntsville lead to a lone run with an RBI single back up the middle.

Baker (5-3) departed after five innings, having conceded three earned runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out three, while losing a second straight start.

Eddie Morlan entered in the sixth and was greeted rudely as Green led off the inning with a towering-home run to right field, allowing Huntsville to regain their two-run lead, 4-2.

Again the Biscuits climbed back within a run in the bottom of the inning. Fields doubled off the center field wall with one out and scored a batter later when Jason Bowers tripled to the alley in left-center field.

Rain began to fall as the Biscuits batted in the sixth inning, leading to a delay following the inning. After a delay of an hour and eighteen minutes, the game resumed in the top of the seventh inning. Matt Gorgen came on in relief to start the seventh inning and walked Adam Stern with one out. Shane Justis then belted a two-run home run to left field, putting Huntsville on top, 6-3.

Jones (3-3) earned the victory, throwing six innings before departing when the rains came. He allowed three earned runs, while scattering nine hits. He walked just one and struck out two.

Mike McClendon kept the Biscuits at bay over the final three innings of the ballgame and earned his second save of the season. The Stars capped the scoring with two runs off of reliever Mike Wlodarczyk in the ninth inning.

Game two of the series is scheduled for 7:05 PM on Tuesday night at Riverwalk Stadium. RHP Heath Rollins (8-9, 3.90) will make the start for Montgomery against RHP Brandon Kintzler (0-0, ---) for Huntsville.

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