Link Report for Games of Sunday, April 17th

[Mass Haas]

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Sunday's Daily Menu -- all opposite the big league boys, unfortunately...

 

All times Central; pitchers subject to change:

 

Nashville: RHP Jose Capellan at New Orleans (Nationals), 1:45 PM pre-game, 2:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.nashvillesounds.com/listenlive/

 

Huntsville: RHP Khalid Ballouli at home vs. Carolina (Marlins), 1:50 PM pre-game, 2:05 gametime

 

Audio link:

www.espn1450.com/

 

Brevard County: Idle; day off for TBD

 

West Virginia: RHP Mark Rogers at home vs. Hagerstown (Mets), 1:05 PM

 

Audio link (opponent's feed):

streaming0.ctinetworks.co...uns-wa.pls

[DHonks]

nice solid trio going tomorrow. Would be nice to see good starts from Rogers and Capellan. As for Khalid, his great start means I'll give him a free pass until June. I never was interested in him, but he has a cult following for some reason, and I'll trust their faith in Ballouli.

[BillScottCanRake]

I'd say Khalid's stuff has always been better than the results we've seen to date. He's the classic "If he can put it all together..." player, who's got a lot of that "p" word.

 

If most of the high-profile pitching prospects turn out as hoped, I'd say Khalid doesn't have much of a future in Milwaukee. On the other hand, if he developes, chances are he's got good enough stuff to make the show someday.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Quote:

---

I never was interested in him, but he has a cult following for some reason, and I'll trust their faith in Ballouli.

---

 

The Cult of Squarepusher? Where they kneel before the icons of Khalid, Gary Glover and Bob Brainerd?

 

I thought Square just liked Khalid because his girlfriend is hot?

[bjamesw22]

Cult?

 

The cult of squarepusher is right. He worships at the church of Khalid Ballouli. He's like Brian's personal buddah.

 

How many strikeouts for Khalid tonight Brian?

 

I'm going to predict Capellan and Rogers give up 0 runs tonight in their respective outtings with good strikeout totals. It's time for some domination!

[squarepusher]

I've never seen Khalid's girlfriend, but Khalid is a dreamboat.

 

Khalid's will only strike out 6 tonight, but he'll pick up the W.

 

And it's a cult of one, but our membership will be on the rise this year.

[hardytheman]

I'd say Khalid's stuff has always been better than the results we've seen to date. He's the classic "If he can put it all together..." player, who's got a lot of that "p" word.

 

If most of the high-profile pitching prospects turn out as hoped, I'd say Khalid doesn't have much of a future in Milwaukee. On the other hand, if he developes, chances are he's got good enough stuff to make the show someday.

 

 

I agree here, but I wanted to bring this up real quick.

 

I would hope that a guy like Khalid could put up solid numbers this season at AA and be used as trade bait if we, meaning the Brewers, move overbay or spivey to upgrade another pos.

 

Im hoping that in the near future, Melvin can use some of our minor league depth, to help improve the big league team. I wouldnt raid the cupboard, but I think we do have enough depth to use a guy like Khalid or Callix Crabbe as options when trying to get a very good proven player to Miwaukee.

 

I wanna be the kind of team thats trading borderline prospects for help at a pennant run someday, instead of being on the other end year after year.

 

 

One other thing, I noticed that the two highest rated pitchers in our system are going today, not a bad way to spend a sunday hungover, laying on the couch with a minor league game on, while watching the brewers on mute, an opportunity to not listen to Darron and Bill is always a good one.

[Mass Haas]

Links to follow today's action -- details late tonight and more in the early AM:

 

Nashville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nozaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

 

West Virginia:

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

[hardytheman]

Rogers has given up 2 runs through 2 IP, both came in the 2nd,

 

Just tuned in during the last of the 2nd inning.

 

BB

2B- runner scored

Ground out- runner to third, scored on WP

K

K

 

not sure if Mark had any Ks in the first inning.

 

bottom of 2

 

Corporan- K first 4 batters of game have struck out

Richardson- HBP

Blevins- BB

Parejo- K

??- 5-4

 

top of 3

 

K- 4th of game

HBP- 2nd of game- SB, SB to third on K

K

F9- Mark threw two knee buckling curves, then the pop fly

 

 

Bottom 3

 

Rodriguez- out

Irribarren- BB - CS- pitch out barely got him.

Escobar- K

 

Top 4 2-0 Hagerstown

 

lineout to 2nd- Hernan "snared" it. Rogers at 60 pitches

BB- lot of full counts today for Mark- Hinton warming up

1B - hit and run, would have been double play but SS covered bag. runner to third. - SB, runners on 2nd and 3rd.

 

K- another full count- coaching visit

3 unassisted

 

gonna check out Cappellan

 

 

Cappellan pitching.

 

1b- weak throw by Orie, runner beat it out, shoulda been an E

CS- snap throw from Mosqueras knees.

F-9

Jeffrey Hammonds up- Ryan Knox with a catch at the wall to rob him of a dinger.

 

 

 

Top of 2nd- No score

 

??- out

??- K

Durrington- F7

 

 

bottom 2

 

K

3-1- nice play by Fielder

K- "curve looking good" today for Jose

 

 

Top 3

 

Mosquera on first

Knox- pop up

Cappellan- F-9

Krynzel- 4-3

 

Bottom 3

 

2B- hard hit to right center gap.

pop up to first

K

6-3

 

top 4

[Mass Haas]

hardytheman, thanks for your efforts, but keep in mind that the links provided in the prior post provide easy access to updated box scores and game logs during each game, so there's no need for a spring-training game style posted game log.

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Virginia 3, Hagerstown (Mets) 2

Sweet comeback in the ninth, capped by a one-out Carlos Corporan three-run blast!

 

West Virginia Box Score:

Prior to the ninth-inning rally, Grant Richardson's 7th inning single was the Power's only base hit...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

 

West Virginia Game Log:

Nice outing for Josh Wahpepah, rewarded with the win...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_wvaafx_1

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 11, Carolina (Marlins) 2

 

Huntsville Box Score:

Enrique Cruz' numbers suddenly interesting; you have to really like the pitching BB-to-K ratios we're seeing throughout most of the organization's games...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

 

Huntsville Game Log:

Pitcher Alec Zumwalt's base hit helps break it open...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...x_hunaax_1

[Mass Haas]

In progress: Nashville 5, New Orleans 5, tenth inning

Zephyrs are challenging to take it, however...

[Mass Haas]

Final: New Orleans (Nationals) 6, Nashville 5, ten innings

Sounds grab a 5-4 lead in the top of the tenth, but Mike Meyers can't hold it -- he hasn't exactly been clutch...

 

Nashville Box Score:

Prince Fielder's struggles are troubling; Sounds strand eight...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nozaaa_1

 

Nashville Game Log:

Ryan Knox with a sweet HR-stealing catch in this one...

 

www.minorleaguebaseball.c...a_nozaaa_1

[hardytheman]

hardytheman, thanks for your efforts, but keep in mind that the links provided in the prior post provide easy access to updated box scores and game logs during each game, so there's no need for a spring-training game style posted game log.

 

 

srry, didnt think the sites had updated to the minute scoring and such. I wil not waste my time again, thanks for letting me know.

[squarepusher]

[ Enrique Cruz' numbers suddenly interesting; you have to really like the pitching BB-to-K ratios we're seeing throughout most of the organization's games... ]

 

And don't look now, but TGJ is reaching the .300 mark. Is he finally getting used to wooden bats? I still think Krynzel's got more tools, but he'd be a pretty sweet reserve outfielder with those defensive skills.

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Site Game Summary:

 

New Orleans first baseman Larry Broadway?s two-out RBI single in the bottom of the tenth inning gave the Zephyrs a 6-5 victory over the Nashville Sounds, who failed to protect a pair of late leads and fell to 6-5 on the year.

 

The game-winner capped off a three-RBI afternoon for Broadway, who entered the contest with only one run driven in over his initial seven games this season.

 

Nashville led 4-2 in the eighth and 5-4 in the tenth but the Zephyrs (5-5) produced a pair of comebacks against the Sounds bullpen to secure the come-from-behind victory.

 

Dan DeMent led off the bottom of the tenth by singling to center off Sounds reliever Mike Meyers. Tyrell Godwin followed with a walk then both runners surprised Nashville with a double steal in a sacrifice situation. Jason Bowers knotted the contest at 5-5 with a sacrifice fly to center. After an intentional walk to Jeffery Hammonds, pinch-hitter Rick Short was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Meyers picked up a big out by fanning Brendan Harris for the second out of the inning but could not retire Broadway.

 

New Orleans struck first, breaking a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth. Bowers led off with an infield single to short then Hammonds drew a four-pitch walk from Nashville starter Jose Capellan. Two outs later, Broadway lifted a two-run double to the wall in right-center to put the home team up, 2-0.

 

The Sounds responded quickly, posting a four-run rally to take a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth. Kevin Orie drew a leadoff walk from Z?s starter Ed Yarnall and moved to second on Trent Durrington?s single to left. Julio Mosquera followed by plating Orie with an RBI single to center, halving the lead to 2-1. One out later, both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch and pinch-hitter Matt Erickson knotted the game with an RBI groundout. Dave Krynzel followed with an RBI infield single to score Mosquera and give Nashville a 3-2 lead. Rickie Weeks drove in Krynzel with a stand-up triple to straightaway center that hit a few feet below the yellow line on the wall, his league-leading third three-bagger of the season.

 

The Zephyrs evened the score with a pair of runs in the eighth. With one out, pinch-hitter DeMent delivered an opposite-field single to right-center and Godwin blooped a single to left off Clint Weibl. Kane Davis came on in relief for the Sounds and walked Bowers to load the bases with only one out. Jeffrey Hammonds delivered a sacrifice fly to center to plate DeMent and pull the Z?s within a run at 4-3. Matt Cepicky followed with an infield single to first to bring home Godwin with the tying run.

 

Nashville reclaimed the lead in the top of the tenth. Krynzel drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second when Zephyrs reliever Hector Carrasco was unable to handle Weeks? sacrifice bunt attempt. After Prince Fielder lined out, Corey Hart loaded the bases with an infield single to third. Carrasco fanned pinch-hitter Brad Nelson for the second out before Durrington hit a slow roller to shortstop for an RBI infield single, plating Krynzel for a 5-4 Sounds lead.

 

Carrasco (1-0) picked up the victory as a result of the New Orleans comeback, while Meyers (1-2) took the loss after blowing a save and allowing the game-winning run.

 

Capellan allowed two runs and struck out four batters in four innings in his first appearance for the Sounds since Opening Day after skipping a start due to a blister on his pitching hand.

 

The teams wrap up the four-game series on Monday evening at 7:05 p.m. at Zephyr Field. Right-hander Ben Hendrickson (0-0, 6.30) will face New Orleans right-hander Sun-Woo Kim (1-1, 4.35).

 

Ryan Knox Defensive Gem Audio:

 

www.nashvillesounds.com/a...204-17.mp3

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

Alec Zumwalt spun three innings of shutout relief and chipped in with a clutch two-run single as the Stars erupted for a decisive 11-2 win over Carolina Sunday afternoon Joe Davis Stadium in Huntsville. The Stars took the final two games of the three game-set to fashion their first winning streak of the year and improve to 3-7, while the Mudcats dropped consecutive games for the first time this season to slip to 6-3.

 

Huntsville starter Khalid Ballouli, who tossed five shutout innings in his first start on Monday, lasted four innings during which he allowed two runs on seven hits. Drew Niles leadoff home run in the fourth inning put the visitors ahead 2-1 before the Stars scored the game?s final 10 runs. Josh Habel worked a scoreless fifth inning and Zumwalt took over in the sixth and matched David Bradley for the longest outing by a Huntsville reliever this season. The right-hander permitted two hits and struck out one to earn his first win of the campaign.

 

The Stars took the lead for good with four runs in the sixth inning with the help of a critical fielding error by the Mudcats. Tony Gwynn, Jr. led off the inning and was hit by a Logan Kensing pitch and then advanced to third base on a single by Brandon Gemoll, who has hit safely in six of the last seven games. Nelson Cruz doubled off the wall in left field to chase home Gwynn to tie the game at two but Gemoll was cut down at the plate trying to score the go-ahead run. Kensing then uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Cruz to advance to third base before walking Tony Zuniga, who has drawn a walk in six of the last seven games. Jeff Winchester smacked a ground ball that could not be handled by shortstop Robert Andino and that allowed Cruz to score, Zuniga to reach second and Winchester to reach safely at first. Chris Barnwell?s ground ball out advanced the runners and Enrique Cruz was intentionally walked to load the bases. Zumwalt, a converted outfielder who hit .216 in the Braves organization between 1999 and 2001, delivered a clean single to left field to plate Zuniga and Winchester to push the home team?s lead to 5-2 and knock Kensing from the game.

 

Ross Wolf took over for Kensing and bore the brunt of a five-run eighth inning, the Stars biggest scoring frame of the season. Kennard Bibbs, Gwynn, Gemoll, Zuniga and Winchester all knocked in markers helping the Stars reach a season-best in runs scored.

 

Gwynn, Winchester and Nelson Cruz became the first players to score more than one run in a game this season and Zuniga, Winchester and Zumwalt each drove in a pair of runs.

 

The Stars open a four-game series against Mobile Monday night with left-hander Dana Eveland taking the mound against BayBears right-hander Brian Whitaker. Coverage of the game gets underway at 6:50 p.m. central time on ESPN 1450 AM and via the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com.

[Mass Haas]

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

The West Virginia Power were held hitless through six innings and scoreless through eight innings, but none of that mattered when Carlos Corporan hit a three run walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth inning, boosting the Power to a 3-2 victory over Hagerstown on Sunday.

 

The Suns took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Tyler Davidson knocked in Derran Watts on an RBI double to give the Suns a 1-0 lead, and Davidson scored later in the inning on a wild pitch, providing the Suns with a 2-0 advantage.

 

Gabriel Hernandez started the game for the Suns, and threw five hitless innings. Michael Devaney followed him and kept the no hitter going into the seventh inning, where Grant Richardson broke it up with a one out single. Carlos Muniz relieved Devaney in the bottom of the ninth inning after surrendering back to back one out singles to Alcides Escobar and Will Lewis. Corporan was the only batter Muniz faced, and he hit a walk-off three run homer to win the game for the Power.

 

Josh Wahpepah (1-1) earned the victory for the Power and Carlos Muniz (1-1) obtained the loss for Hagerstown. With the victory the Power improve to 2-9 on the season and the Suns drop to 9-2 with the loss.

 

The Power are off on Monday, and they will begin a three game series with the Lexington Legends at 7:05 PM (6:05 Central) on Tuesday night at Appalachian Power Park. Lefthander Greg Kloosterman (0-2, 4.50) will throw for the Power and the Legends will counter with righthander Juan Gutierrez (0-0, 2.00).

[huntsvillefan]

I'm starting to feel a lot better about my pennant chasing predictions for this year's Stars. They really have been fun to watch for the three games against Carolina.I'm hoping that their bad start was down to having to go on the road right away, without having settled in.

Its a bit early to have much of an impression of individuals as yet. None of the position players really grab your attention the way Prince did last year, but they already have more of a team feel than last year's lot ever did. ( I know that is dreadfully unimportant in the great scheme of things, but its still very pleasant to watch)

Parra certainly looked the genuine article on his outing, I think it is going to be a lot of fun watching the competition for the Ace of this rotation.

Having watched his stuff today, I'm finding it difficult to drink Square's Khalid Koolaid - but its hard to argue with results and so far Khalid has been producing.

Also great to see (though totally unimportant I know, I know!) was how well both Sarfate and Parra interacted with the fans when doing camera duty. Extremely polite and willing to sign autographs and answer questions with patience and a smile.

I already like Don Money's running game a lot better than I liked Kremblas' (that won't surprize anyone ). The difference that I see so far was highlighted last night. Two successive, successful bunt singles and he was able to switch straight back to a conventional approach. If Frank had had 2 in a row like that, he couldn't have stopped himself - we'd have been watching bunts and suicide squeezes all night.

If I had to pick out one position player who has made a big favorable impression it would be the other Cruz. The one that didn't get pre-season P50 raves. He's been fine with the bat and he's played some very, very pretty defense. Cruz to Crabbe to Gemoll hasn't quite the same ring as Tinker to Evers to Chance, but I'm willing to let it grow on me.

[hsvstarsfan]

A beautiful day to breakaway

Check your crystal ball, squarepusher........ A BrewerFan.net.poster who was uncanny the last time he predicted Khalid Ballouli's first performance, missed the target this time, predicting he would strike out 6 and get the win......... Well, Ballouli missed the target, too, squarepusher..

It wasn't, by his admission, a great start. I asked him which of his pitches was working. He said none of them. It was four innings of "damage control"........ Still, for damage control, it was pretty good work. 77 pitches, 53 for strikes (68.9%). That's a lot of pitches for four innings of work though. After four, it was wise for Don Money to yank him.

In the 4th inning, behind on Drew Niles 2-and-0, he offered a two-seam fastball, a good pitch to throw in that situation. Really his lifeboat........ Niles crushed his lifeboat over the Allstate sign in right field for a home run, giving Carolina a 2-1 lead........ It was Niles in the 2nd inning who snapped Ballouli's string of 18 straight batters retired with a two-out single up the middle, going back to his 1st start of the season......... It was the 8th home run given up by the Stars pitching staff this season, 2nd worst in the league, but really a modest figure. In 1999, after their first ten games, Stars pitchers served up 18 home runs.

But where Ballouli felt he failed, Josh Habel, Alec Zumwalt, and Jerome Gamble combined to shut the Mudcats out over the next 5 innings, giving up just 2 hits and not allowing a walk. Who noticed that though?........ This was the day the dam broke.

The Stars, averaging little more than 2.5 runs per game, broke out with a frenzy in the last three innings, scoring 10 runs, crushing the Mudcats, 11-2........ Everyone who could wield a bat, took part in the damage. Even Alec Zumwalt, the converted outfielder, delighted in taking revenge on the embarrassing four-game sweep of last week, but we'll get to that........ Justice prevailed on this warm, beautiful, summerlike 78° afternoon at Joe Davis Stadium....... The Stars won the series against the Mudcats, and the bats awoke from their slumber, hitting .317 in the 3-game series, raising the team average to .246, the best club batting figure in six years after the first ten games of the season. (The 1999 Stars were hitting .267 after 10 games).

In the 2nd inning, Carolina starter Logan Kensing ended the inning with one of two great catches in this game, diving off the mound to make an outstretched catch of Ballouli's popped up bunt, which he turned into a 1-4 double play to get Enrique Cruz, ending the inning, and holding the Stars to one run...... After that play, Kensing retired 10 of 11 batters to face him....... In the 6th inning, the Stars batted around, taking a 6-2 lead into the dugout with them....... Ignited by a 2-2 fastball that hit Junior in the back, the Stars were quick to rally........ Kensing gave up a single to right to Brandon Gemoll, a double by Nelson Cruz over the head of centerfielder James Shanks, a wild pitch and a walk to Tony Zuniga, and a grounder to short by Jeff Winchester that scored Cruz with the go-ahead run...... Two batters later, Alec Zumwalt came up with the big blow of the inning --- a bases-loaded single threaded through short to left field, putting the Stars ahead, 5-2, and chasing Kensing from the game.

Manager Gary Allenson brought in Ross Wolf and stuck with him the rest of the game........ In the 7th, Brandon Gemoll's first-pitch double off the right field wall set up the Stars' 6th run, a sacrifice fly by Tony Zuniga scoring Gemoll who managed to get to third on Nelson Cruz's single.

Even though he had Joe Rodriguez warming up in the Stars' 5-run 8th, Allenson left Wolf in to take a beating when the Stars brought 10 men to the plate........ Kennard Bibbs, the only batter to go hitless for the Stars, drove in the first run on a grounder with the sacks full....... Tony Gwynn drove in the next run with a first pitch single into a gaping hole at shortstop, scoring Enrique Cruz.......... Next, Brandon Gemoll, who scored on a sacrifice fly, drove in pinch-hitter Ben Van Iderstine on a fly ball to center......... Nelson Cruz walked, then Zuniga hit a 2-1 pitch to center, falling in just the right place, for it short-hopped off Shanks' glove and got away, allowing Gwynn to score...... Jeff Winchester drove in the final run of the inning on a hot grounder that 3rd baseman Niles could only keep in front of him. With no chance to throw anyone out, Cruz scored to make it a final 11-2.

I mentioned Kensing's great diving catch in the 2nd inning....... The other noteworthy defensive gem came from Rex Rundgren...... Nelson Cruz, leading off the 4th, lined a ball up the middle when out of nowhere, Rundgren running, leapt high in the air and outstretched, speared the ball...... It was like watching a ballet leap.

After ten games, the Stars are 3-7, tying their worst mark at that stage of the season, done twice in the Milwaukee-era, and twice by the A's-affiliated Stars in 1986 and 1987........ After ten games, the Stars have hit only two home runs, both by Nelson Cruz, the fewest since 1991, when the only one hit after ten games was by Dwayne Hosey....... The Stars have also scored only 34 runs after ten games, just two more than the fewest in the Stars' 21-year history. (32 in 1987 and 2000)....... Better news --- this team is the best defensively at this point since 1995. The Stars have made only 7 errors after ten games, which was the record low established that year. However, the Brewers have burdened us with inadequate defense at the catching position, while two experienced catchers are sitting on the bench night after night........ Four passed balls in 10 games and too many escaped third strikes that have led to runs, including one tonight when Jason Hill swung at a wild pitch by Ballouli that caromed off Winchester's glove in the 3rd. Not one opposing baserunner has been caught stealing from a catcher's throw and most of the time, it's been Rottino behind the plate. This was Winchester's 3rd start. John Vanden Berg has not started a game yet........ If it was up to me, Rottino would be catching at Brevard County, instead of two steps up in Huntsville........ I understand he's got potential with the bat, but let him wait a year if you're going to make a catcher out of him this late in his career. I think I'd just find another position for him and let Lou Palmisano and Angel Salome take care of the Brewers' future catching needs.

Monday starts a four-game series at home with Mobile........ Dana Eveland (0-1), with 11 Ks in 9 innings in his two starts will face Brian Whitaker........ Whitaker, last year, served up the only grand-slam HR of the season for the Stars --- to Brandon Gemoll on May 10 in an 8-5 Stars win........ Whitaker faced the Stars six times last year --- all starts. He beat them only once after becoming only the 6th pitcher to lose to the Stars four times in a season. Given another chance to break the record on August 15, he left after five innings and took a no-decision in a 3-2 Stars victory........ The Stars are 85-73 against Mobile ever since they joined the Southern League in 1997.

After 10 games and 49 1/3 innings, the starting rotation has a strikeout-walk ratio of 57:11....... Tony Gwynn, Jr. is 9-for-24 (.375) in his last six games with just three strikeouts....... Enrique Cruz is hitting .409 in his last six games. Last year after 10 games, Cruz was hitting .240 with 14 strikeouts in 22 at-bats. This year, he has 9 Ks in 32 at-bats........Brandon Gemoll is starting to hit the ball. He's hit safely in six of his last seven games....... Noochie Varner delivered a game-winning RBI single in the 11th inning to give the Tennessee Smokies a 3-2 victory over Mobile, handing Mobile their 6th straight loss.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.al.com/sports/huntsvi...717891.xml

 

No bat, no crisis for Stars

Borrowed lumber helps reliever build cushion in victory

By BRUCE McLELLAN

Associate Sports Editor brucem@htimes.com

 

Huntsville Stars reliever Alec Zumwalt had a minor problem as his spot in the batting order approached in the sixth inning Sunday at Joe Davis Stadium.

 

He didn't have one of his bats in the dugout and there wasn't time to get one from the clubhouse underneath the stands.

 

"Being in the role that I thought I'd be in - late-inning guy - you usually don't get an at-bat," Zumwalt said. "I asked for anybody to donate a bat that might be used."

 

First baseman Brandon Gemoll complied.

 

"He knew I was a former position player, so I think he trusted me that I wasn't going to break it into 80 pieces," said Zumwalt, a converted outfielder.

 

He took the borrowed 34-inch Louisville Slugger and hit a two-out, two-run single to left field, breaking open a close game and giving the Stars momentum for an 11-2 victory over Carolina in front of an announced crowd of 1,843 on a sunny afternoon.

 

Even better than the hit that gave Huntsville a 5-2 lead, Zumwalt (1-1) got his first victory of the season while pitching three shutout innings. He faced only 10 batters, gave up two hits, induced one double play and didn't issue a walk.

 

"It was a good outing," he said. "I pitched today instead of just throwing."

 

It also ended as a good day for Huntsville's batters, who previously had found hits as hard to find as gasoline priced under $2.

 

The Stars finished with 15 hits and had their first inning of the season with more than four hits and four runs, getting five of each in the ninth. The 11 runs were five more than the Stars had scored in any of their first nine games.

 

"We really needed that," Zumwalt said of the offense.

 

Manager Don Money also was upbeat after the Stars scored 17 runs in winning consecutive games against the Mudcats - who held Huntsville to one run in four games the first week of the season.

 

"Hitting is contagious - you've probably heard that 1,000 times," Money said. "But non-hitting is contagious, too."

 

Carolina took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on Drew Niles' home run to right field off of Huntsville starter Khalid Ballouli.

 

Meanwhile, Mudcats starter Logan Kensing (1-1) was rolling, retiring eight Stars in a row before Enrique Cruz's double in the fifth.

 

But after Tony Gwynn Jr. was hit by a pitch to lead off the sixth, Kensing no longer seemed invincible. Gwynn scored to tie the game on a double by Nelson Cruz, who came home to give Huntsville a 3-2 lead when Jeff Winchester hit a grounder.

 

Eventually, it was Zumwalt's turn to bat with two out and the bases loaded. Money said that since Huntsville already had a lead he wanted to keep Zumwalt in the game and let him pitch more than an inning.

 

"If it was 2-2, we would have pinch-hit for him," Money said.

 

Zumwalt played in the outfield in the Atlanta Braves system from 1999-2001 before converting to pitching. He said Sunday's at-bat was his first since last August when he was a reliever with Greenville.

 

"As bad as I hate to say it, I'm not a hitter anymore."

 

But he swings a borrowed bat pretty well.

 

Tonight: Huntsville's Dana Eveland (0-1, 1.00 ERA) is scheduled to face Mobile's Brian Whitaker (1-1, 3.00) at 7:05 at Joe Davis Stadium.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

www.wvgazette.com/section...2005041720

 

Three-run HR lifts Power, 3-2

Corporan?s blast in ninth wins it

By Jim Workman

For The Charleston Gazette

 

With the excitement that has surrounded Appalachian Power Park this week, the West Virginia Power players have been itching to give the thousands of fans something extra to cheer about.

 

Power designated hitter Carlos Corporan was happy to oblige on Sunday afternoon, blasting a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning over the right-field wall to lift West Virginia to a 3-2 victory over the Hagerstown Suns in a South Atlantic League game played before 3,417 fans.

 

?It was a great moment,? Corporan said, adding that the homer was his first game-winner at the professional level. ?I had a good swing. He gave me a fastball up, and I was looking for that pitch all day long. It just came at the right moment. I was really concentrating on what I had to do.?

 

?I know I?m excited,? said Power manager Ramon Aviles. ?As a former player, I know they?re excited about playing for the fans.?

 

?It?s going to be a fun year,? said Corporan. ?We love the fans being excited about coming to the games.?

 

Through eight innings, the Power had managed just one hit, a seventh-inning single by Grant Richardson. Scoring opportunities were few and far between and were quickly snuffed out by the Suns.

 

?That?s baseball,? Corporan said. ?You can never give up. You have to concentrate all game long. That?s what we did.?

 

Alcides Escobar hit a one-out single to left to start the Power rally in the ninth. Will Lewis followed with an infield single to set the scene for Corporan?s one-out heroics.

 

Hagerstown scored its two runs in second inning off Power starter Mark Rogers. Tyler Davidson pounded a double to center field that scored Derran Watts, and Davidson later scored on a wild pitch to give the Suns a 2-0 advantage.

 

But Hagerstown was shut down the rest of the way as Rogers adjusted, and Power relievers Robert Hinton and Josh Wahpepah slammed the door, allowing just four more hits over the final seven innings. Power pitchers allowed just five hits and struck out 11. Wahpepaph (1-1) got the win, and Carlos Muniz (1-1) was tabbed for the loss.

 

?As long as we get pitching like that and play good defense, we have a chance to win the ballgame,? said Aviles.

 

The Suns fall to 9-2, and the Power is 2-9 with its only other win coming Thursday on opening night at AP Park.

 

?The first 10 games have been rough,? Richardson admitted. ?But this will help. We have to get more aggressive and swing the bats, but be also smart about it. This will give us a big boost. It will be a big confidence-builder. The fans loved it, and we loved giving it to them.?

 

?This was a great game,? said Aviles. ?We showed a lot of character as a team, especially after the game we lost [saturday night]. We could have come in here and rolled over and let them do whatever they wanted to do. But we didn?t do that. We played an outstanding game. Pitching from both sides was great. But one pitch decided the game.

 

?But what impressed me the most was that we didn?t give up. We were focused and we played hard for the whole nine innings. I was thinking before the inning that this has been a great game. Even if we lose, I have nothing negative to say to my kids.?

 

Pressing too hard can be a concern for professional athletes. ?We had a meeting and we asked the players what was going on,? said Aviles. ?They said, ?We have a lot of fans, and we don?t want to mess up.? But I just told them to relax and do what you?re capable of doing and the fans will appreciate it. You give them your best on the field and that?s it. We want to do good because we want to put on a good show for the fans. Sometimes that can work against you, because you can put too much pressure on yourself.?

 

The Power has an off-day today and will open a three-game series at home with the Lexington Legends at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday. It is Two-for-Tuesday. Left-hander Greg Kloosterman (0-2, 4.50 ERA) will start for West Virginia, and right-hander Juan Gutierrez (0-0, 2.00) is scheduled to start for Lexington.

 

?Now I wish we played [today],? Aviles said. ?I wish we could carry this win over into the next day. But we want to keep the switch turned on until Tuesday. Don?t turn it off just because we have a day off.?

 

Charleston Gazette Photographer:Chip Ellis

Power starter Mark Rogers delivers to the Suns.

 

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/Power1.jpg

 

The Power?s Hernan Iribarren tries to steal second but is tagged out by Hagerstown?s Wilson Batista.

 

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/images/stories/Power3.jpg

[AJ Love]

I'm liking the fact that Rogers struck out 6 in 4 innings. The kids got mega-potential

 

meanwhile, in AAA: has Fielder always been a streaky type hitter? (noting he's batting .175, although he does have 2 HR's)