Stars celebrate Bat Day in ninth

Monday, May 8, 2000 | 11:40 a.m.

TACOMA, Wash. -- More than 5,000 fans turned out for Bat Day here Sunday afternoon at Cheney Stadium.

Fans got their free piece of lumber upon entering the stadium. It took the Las Vegas Stars about eight innings longer to find their bats.

After being held to just six hits and one run over the first eight innings by the Tacoma pitching combo of Ken Cloude and Kevin Hodges, the Stars (18-9) rallied for five runs in the ninth to pull out a 6-2 victory over the Rainiers (15-14).

Shortstop Kevin Nicholson drove in ex-Rainier Shane Monahan with a one-out single to tie the game 2-2, then scored what would be the winning run on a two-run, bases-loaded single by Mike Darr.

Dusty Allen also had a two-run single in the five-run uprising, which came at the expense of Tacoma relief ace Todd Williams (0-2), who entered the game leading the Pacific Coast League in saves with seven.

Williams has company at the top now. Stars right-hander Brandon Kolb came in to strike out Tacoma shortstop Carlos Hernandez with two out and two on to notch his seventh save.

* STARS NOTES: The Stars got a break when Tacoma's 6-10 left-hander Ryan "Space Needle" Anderson went on the disabled list last week with a sore hand and strep throat. Anderson, often compared to Arizona Diamondbacks ace Randy Johnson, comes off the DL on Thursday, which means he could pitch against the Stars next Tuesday or Wednesday at Cashman Field. ... The teams resume their five-game series here tonight at 7:05 with right-hander Brian Tollberg starting for Las Vegas against right-hander Scott Atchison.