SL1 Knoxville Smokies

Tennessee Outlasts Carolina 8-7 in Ten

Published on July 7, 2008 under Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release


Zebulon, NC- The Tennessee Smokies (40-50, 13-7) blew a six-run lead in the late innings but still were able to outlast the Carolina Mudcats (48-42, 10-10) in ten to win, 8-7 at Five County Stadium Monday afternoon in front of 3,912. Tyler Colvin doubled home Matt Camp in the games tenth inning to put Tennessee in front to stay. The win raises the Smokies first place lead to two-and-half games in the Southern League North division.

It didn't take long for the Tennessee bats to get started in a three run first. Matt Camp reached to lead off the inning with a bunt single and moved second on a throwing error. Matt Matulia followed with a bunt hit which placed runners and second and third. Tyler Colvin lined a sacrifice fly to right field scoring Camp. Jake Fox crushed a two-run homerun scoring Matulia.

Carolina got on the board in the bottom of the first. John Raynor slipped a homerun over the left-center field wall to make it 3-1.

Tennessee scored again in the second inning. Mark Reed doubled leading off and crossed home when Donnie Veal grounded out to third.

The Smokies added another three runs in the fifth. Matt Camp tripled home Veal who had drawn a walk, and scored on a Matulia single. Matulia would eventually touch home on a pass ball.

Donnie Veal pitched 5 2/3 innings in the start, and tallied 9 strikeouts on the day. He would yield only one run and a total of four hits with three walks.

The Mudcats battled back with a four-run seventh. Brett Hayes cracked a homerun leading off the inning. Then with one out pinch hitter Chris Coghlan walked. Raynor singled and Dante Brinkly drew another walk to load the bases. Gaby Sanchez doubled to right scoring two. Alberto Concepcion drove home another on a sacrifice fly.

Carolina completed the come back in the eighth. Andy Jenkins singled to start the inning. Grant Psomas then connected on his first homerun of the season. The two-run shot evened the score at 7-7.

The Mudcats loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth. Dante Brinkly doubled and Sanchez was hit by a pitch. Concepcion laid down a sacrifice bunt moving the runners into scoring position. Pitch hitter Brad Davis drew an intentional walk and the bags were full. Smokies reliever Casey Lambert (1-0) then struck out Jenkins and got Brett Hayes to pop out.

The Smokies carried the momentum from the bottom of the ninth to plate in the tenth. Matt Camp collected his third hit of the game leading off. He took second on a wild pitch and then third on a groundout. Colvin drove him home with a bullet down the right field line.

Jose Ceda retired the side in the bottom of the tenth for his fifth save.

Tennessee will return home for a five-game set against the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx on Tuesday July 8th through Saturday July 12th. All game times are set for 7:15 pm.

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Southern League Stories from July 7, 2008


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