Stars nip Lookouts, 4-3

The Chattanooga Lookouts now need three wins in a row to get above .500 for the second half, after falling 4-3 Friday night to the visiting Huntsville Stars at AT&T Field.

Much like Thursday night, the Lookouts found themselves in a hole off the bat. After reaching on a fielder's choice, Huntsville's Shane Justus scored on a double to left-center by Drew Anderson.

Lookouts first basemen Eddy Perez answered with a solo home run over the right-field wall in the second, but that was the only run Stars pitcher Donovan Hand would surrender in his seven innings in his seventh win of the season.

Perez, Russ Mitchell and James Tomlin combined for seven of the Lookouts' 12 hits, and Perez drove in two of their runs. Huntsville finished with 13 hits, including four from catcher J.R. Hopf.

"We didn't hit when we had men in scoring position. We had guys on third base with less than two outs, and we just didn't do the job," Chattanooga manager John Valentin said.

The Lookouts got close by scoring two two-out runs in the eighth off Rob Wooten and loaded the bases before a flyout by Justin Sellers. Huntsville's Mike McClendon retired them in order in the ninth for the save.

Alberto Bastardo (1-1, 5.54 ERA) is scheduled to start tonight's 7:15 matchup for the Lookouts. David Welch (4-6, 5.00) is scheduled for the Stars.

Lookouts second baseman Ramon Nivar entered Friday night's matchup hitting an impressive .413 since joining the team in late June. He now has a12-game hitting streak.

Nivar also has impressed with his defensive play at second base.