SL1 Knoxville Smokies

Smokies Stun Generals with Four-Run Ninth

Published on May 13, 2013 under Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release


JACKSON, TN . - Matt Szczur delivered the go-ahead RBI double in a four-run top of the 9th inning as the Tennessee Smokies came back to shock the Jackson Generals by the final score of 6-4. The victory is the first for the Smokies in ten tries when trailing after eight innings.

Trailing 4-2 in the top of the 9th, Rafael Lopez led off with a home run off the right field foul pole to bring the Smokies within a run. Two batters later, Rubi Silva tied the game at 4-4 with an opposite field home run to left, his seventh of the season. Then after Tim Torres and Anthony Giansanti reached, Szczur's RBI double gave the Smokies the lead at 5-4. Ronald Torreyes drove home the final run of the inning with a sacrifice fly that plated Giansanti.

Reliever Trey McNutt (2-3) got the win out of the bullpen for Tennessee and Tyler Burgoon (0-1) took the loss for Jackson allowing all four runs scored in the 9th. Kevin Rhoderick earned his first save of the season pitching a 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th.

Silva broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the 2nd inning. With Lopez at third base and Christian Villanueva at first, Silva doubled off the wall in left field to bring in Lopez to put Tennessee up 1-0.

Jackson responded to take their first lead of the series with two runs in the second. James Jones tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI single that scored Vinnie Catricala. On the play, Julio Morban advanced to third base on an error by Giansanti and he would score on Steven Proscia's RBI groundout to put the Generals in front 2-1.

Brad Miller's fourth hit of the series in the bottom of the 3rd inning brought home Leon Landry and doubled Jackson's advantage to 3-1.

Tennessee (18-18) and Jackson (15-20) exchanged runs in the seventh inning. Giansanti got the Smokies back within a run on an RBI double that scored Torres, but the Generals restored their two-run lead in the bottom of the 7th courtesy of a Julio Morban RBI single.

Both starters threw well in the contest but did not factor in the decision. Smokies righty Dallas Beeler went the first six innings allowing three runs, two of them earned, on six hits. Chance Ruffin pitched 6.2 innings for the Generals yielding two runs on seven hits and was in line for the win before the Smokies rally.

The Smokies and Generals will continue their five-game series tomorrow night at 8:05 ET when Tennessee sends right-hander Alberto Cabrera (3-1, 4.31) to the mound against Jackson righty Taijuan Walker (3-3, 2.23) at Generals Park.

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Southern League Stories from May 13, 2013


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