Stars stop Smokies 4-0

Huntsville’s Villanueva throws one-hit game One night after receiving a tremendous pitching performance from Micah Owings, the Tennessee Smokies found themselves on the other side of the fence in a 4-0 loss to the Huntsville Stars on Saturday night at Smokies Park. The Stars’ Carlos Villanueva pitched a one-hit game that included retiring 24 consecutive batters before walking second baseman Danny Richar in the ninth inning before retiring Jerry Gil for the complete game shutout. Villanueva entered the night with a 3-2 record and added another to the win column with an eight strikeout performance that pushed his season total to 47 for the young right-hander from the Dominican Republic. Tennessee entered the night having won seven of their last nine games at Smokies Park before falling to the Stars on Saturday. Catcher Miguel Montero collected the lone hit for the Smokies in the bottom of the first inning to prevent the no-hitter. Richar’s walk in the ninth inning was the only free-pass issued by Villanueva in the dominant pitching performance. Huntsville got on the scoreboard early against Smokies starter Adam Bass, scoring in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Second baseman Callix Crabbe walked and proceeded to steal both second and third base before outfielder Ron Acuna brought him home on a sacrifice fly for the early lead. The Stars put runs on the board in both the fifth and sixth innings to extend the lead to 3-0 before adding a fourth run in the eighth on a single and stolen base by Acuna and an RBI single from catcher Lou Palmisano. The two teams play again on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at Smokies Park. Tennessee will start righthander Garrett Mock against Tim Dillard of Huntsville.