Stars fall twice, 7-6

Friday, May 8, 1998 | 7:20 a.m.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Thursday was a busy day both on and off the field for the Las Vegas Stars.

The Stars (15-12) dropped both games of their doubleheader with the lowly Nashville Sounds (11-15) by identical 7-6 scores before a crowd of 3,655 at Greer Stadium despite second baseman Dave Hajek extending his hitting streak to 17 games with four hits and five RBIs in the twinbill.

Meanwhile, the Stars released relief pitcher Archie Corbin to make room for right-hander Scott Sanders, obtained in a trade with the Detroit Tigers by the San Diego Padres on Wednesday.

Corbin's release came as no surprise. In six games this season, the hard-throwing 6-6 right-hander struggled badly, allowing 13 earned runs in just 4 1/3 innings en route to a 27.00 ERA. Corbin walked 13 batters and hit three more and also uncorked three wild pitches.

The Stars also learned before the doubleheader that reliever Paul Menhart (1-1, 3.86 ERA, 1 save) had been suspended for three games by the Pacific Coast League for his part in a beanball war with the Oklahoma Redhawks last Sunday at Cashman Field.

Menhart was ejected from that game in the ninth inning after one of his pitches sailed behind second baseman Osmani Estrada's head. Estrada had angered the Stars two innings earlier with his slow waltz around the bases after hitting a two-run homer. Ironically, the pitch that caused Menhart's ejection and subsequent suspension actually was a strike, because it hit the bat of the ducking Estrada.

Menhart sat out Thursday's games and will also sit out tonight's series finale here pitting two of baseball's top pitching prospects, Las Vegas right-hander Matt Clement (3-2, 2.43) against Nashvillle right-hander Kris Benson (1-2, 4.63), the top pick in the June 1996 baseball amateur draft.

The Stars, who continue their road trip with a four game series at Memphis beginning Saturday night, return home to Cashman Field on Wednesday night when they host the Tucson Sidewinders.