Fernandez, Morban Lead Generals to 5-1 Win Over Stars
GENERALS NEWS RELEASE Julio Morban belted two triples and Anthony Fernandez earned seventh win JACKSON, TENN. (July 30, 2013) – The Generals (16-19) were able score two runs in the first then grab three important insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth and snapped a four-game skid. The Generals notched a 5-1 victory over the Huntsville Stars (17-20) Tuesday night. Both teams boasted good starting pitching into the late innings, but it was Jackson‘s two multi-run innings that propelled them to victory. It has been the first inning the last two nights that have done Jackson in against Huntsville, but the home team reversed the trend on Tuesday. Chris Taylor (0-3, 2 R, BB, SB) led off the first by reaching on an error. Two batters later, Julio Morban (2-3, 2 3B, 2 RBI, BB, R) belted his fourth triple of the season scoring Taylor. Morban came across the plate when Ji-Man Choi (2-3, BB, 2 RBI) produced an RBI groundout. As the Stars had done twice this series, the Generals had a lead after the first frame at 2-0. That 2-0 score would remain until the eighth inning thanks in large part to the team‘s strength in the month of July – pitching. Anthony Fernandez (W, 7-5, 4.35) retired twelve in a row from the second to the sixth inning and did not give up an earned run for the fifth time in 16 starts. The lefty allowed four hits, two of them in the first, striking out four and surrendering two free passes all while tossing a season-high 7.2 innings. Fernandez earned his team-leading seventh win and did not allow a runner past second base during his outing. The Stars cut into the lead in the eighth inning following Fernandez‘s exit. It looked like the top of the ninth could be trouble, but the offense made sure that never happened. The Generals posted a three-run bottom of the eighth, including a second RBI triple from Morban and an RBI single from Choi, to push the lead out of reach. Dominic Leone tossed 1.1 innings of solid baseball to close the book on the last four outs of the win, picking up his second save thus far in Double-A. Wednesday‘s game will begin at 7:05 p.m. (CT). Anthony Vasquez (1-1, 3.09) will try and straighten things back up after a rough start in Chattanooga. Right-hander Ariel Pena (5-7, 4.06) will oppose him on the bump.
