Stars down Dukes; return to Cashman

Monday, May 12, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The Las Vegas Stars avoided being swept in their four-game series with the Albuquerque Dukes, but they did it the hard way.

The Stars blew a 9-1 lead in the seventh inning Sunday as the Dukes rallied for eight runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, then scored two runs in the top of the 12th and pulled out an 11-9 victory in the series finale at the Sports Stadium.

The Stars return to Cashman Field tonight at 7:05 and take on the Calgary Cannons to open an eight-game homestand.

Doug Dascenzo belted a solo home run with one out in the eighth and Ray Brown added an RBI double to make a winner of Brian Drahman (2-0). Terry Burrows pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 12th to record his first save.

Las Vegas scored a run in the first on a sacrifice fly by Jim Tatum, then mounted a 5-0 lead with four runs in the fourth on a two-run homer by Tatum, a run-scoring infield single by Jorge Velandia and an RBI single by starting pitcher Jim Bruske.

After Albuquerque scored once in the bottom of the fifth, the Stars made it 9-1 on a two-run pinch-hit single by Jamie Keefe and a two-run triple by Dascenzo.

Stars reliever Marshall Boze gave up a two-run home run in the seventh, his first inning of work, and an unearned run in the eighth as the Dukes pulled to 9-4. In the ninth, Boze gave up a pair of solo home runs around an out and walked two batters.

Todd Schmitt replaced Boze and walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, then allowed a three-run single to Paul Konerko that tied the score.