Live by the homer, die by the homer

In a battle of home runs, the RedHawks and Sounds each had two Friday night. But Nashville's homers added up to three runs to Oklahoma's two and Vinny Rottino broke a 3-3 deadlock with a go-ahead, two-run shot as the Sounds beat the Hawks 5-3 at Greer Stadium.

Oklahoma finishes the series with a 3-1 mark in Nashville. The RedHawks won the season series 14-2. The division lead remains at seven games over New Orleans with 17 to play and the magic number to clinch is 11.

John Mayberry and Chris Shelton staked Oklahoma (68-59) to a 2-0 lead through 3 1/2 innings with solo homers. Jay Gibbons hit a solo shot to make the score 2-1 in the fourth and Brendan Katin's double later that inning tied the score 2-2 against starter Steve Rowe, who did not get a decision.

The RedHawks tallied an unearned run on Craig Gentry's first Triple-A RBI in the fifth, only to have Nashville tie the score 3-3 in the bottom of the inning on Brad Nelson's RBI single. Rottino belted a two-run shot off eventual losing pitcher Kea Kometani (4-5) in the sixth to end the scoring.

All five Nashville runs were scored with two out, and four of the five came after there were two outs and nobody on base. The Sounds are 52-75. Starter Chris Narveson (5-12) went six innings for the win. Joe Bateman picked up his fourth save.

The RedHawks open a nine-game homestand on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. against Omaha at AT&T Bricktown Ballpark with Michael Ballard set to face the Royals' Jimmy Gobble.