Omaha salvages split with Stars

Wednesday, April 21, 1999 | 10:47 a.m.

OMAHA, Neb. -- The Las Vegas Stars blew a chance to sweep their second doubleheader in a three-day span when Omaha rallied for two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh inning of Tuesday's nightcap to pull out a 4-3 victory at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Las Vegas (7-6), behind the brilliant five-hit pitching of left-hander Heath Murray, won the opener, 5-0.

It appeared the Stars, who took two from the Iowa Cubs on Sunday, would get another sweep when leftfielder Dusty Allen doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher Ben Davis to break a 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh in the second game.

But Golden Spikes DH Joe Vitiello reached safely on shortstop Greg LaRocca's error to open the bottom of the seventh. Pinch-runner Ray Holbert was sacrificed to second and then came around to tie the game, 3-3, on center fielder Steve Gibralter's RBI double to left off reliever Matt Whiteside (0-1).

Third baseman Kit Pellow was then intentionally walked and the Stars nearly got out of the jam when catcher Jose Mercedes grounded into a fielders' choice. But second baseman Jed Hansen bounced a single off of LaRocca's glove into center field to drive in Gibralter with the game-winning run.

In the opener, designated hitter Aaron Guiel hit a towering 450-foot homer and second baseman David Newhan drove in two runs to back the shutout pitching of Murray.

Murray walked three and struck out seven. He allowed just one extra-base hit, a fourth-inning ground rule double to Vitiello, and, aided by two double plays, never faced more than four batters in any inning.

The Stars conclude their road trip with a 10:05 game this morning against the Golden Spikes (8-5). Following an off-day on Thursday, Las Vegas begins an eight-game homestand on Friday night at Cashman Field against the Edmonton Trappers.

* STARS NOTES: Rightfielder Mike Darr sat out both games of the doubleheader with a slightly strained rib-cage muscle. Darr is listed as day-to-day. ... Davis, who had just one hit in his first 28 at-bats, has gone 4-for-6 in his last three games with two doubles. ... In the three games at Omaha, Allen has reached base nine out of 12 times he has batted, including six times on walks.