NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



Tennessee Smokies

Barons Edge Smokies, 3-2, Thanks to Two-Run Ninth

May 16, 2016 - Southern League (SL1)
Tennessee Smokies News Release


SEVIERVILLE - The Smokies and Barons scored a combined 28 runs in the first two games of the five-game series, but Monday's contest was a low scoring affair to those standards with the Barons taking the contest by a count of 3-2.

SS Chesny Young was strong at the dish for the Smokies going 3-for-4 on the night and was driven in by CF Jacob Hannemann who had the lone RBI for the Smokies.

With the loss, the Smokies drop to 17-21 on the year while the Barons improve to that same mark.

Neither team could get the bats going early on Monday night much to the thanks of both starting pitchers on the mound as the two teams combined for five hits through the first five innings. For the Smokies, RHP Paul Blackburn was in command. He gave up a single in the first, but then retired the side in the second and third innings. The 22-year-old walked the first two batters he faced, RF Eudy Pina (1-3, BB) and 1B Nicky Delmonico (0-3, RBI, BB, SO) to begin the fourth, but got out of the jam with two pop outs and a strikeout.

The Barons got on the board first in the sixth that began with Blackburn (6.0 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 3 SO) giving a free pass to LF Jake Peter (0-3, BB, R) who stole second before Pina advanced him to third on a ground out. Delmonico then sent a ground ball to Young (3-4, BB, R) who elected to go home with the throw but Peter was able to slide under the tag to give Birmingham a 1-0 lead.

RF Courtney Hawkins (2-4, RBI, R, SO) followed that up with a double that moved Delmonico to third with one out. 3B Trey Michalczewski (0-4, 2 SO) then sent a fly ball to center where Hannemann (1-4, RBI) made the catch then he and 2B Stephen Bruno (0-4, 3 SO) hooked up at second to catch Hawkins who was attempting to tag up and advance to third for the double play.

Barons' starter, RHP Carson Fulmer, was in complete control in his five innings of work. The former Vanderbilt University standout did not retire the side once during his outing, but never fell in too much of a jam. Fulmer (5.0 IP, 3 H, 5 BB, 2 SO) gave up a double to C Victor Caratini (1-3, BB) with one out then walked DH Kelly Dugan (0-2, 2 BB, SO), but got out of the situation when Bruno hit into a double play.

Birmingham turned to LHP Brian Clark (2.2 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 SO) in the home half of the sixth frame and the 23-year-old ran into some trouble in the seventh inning. Young hit a one out infield single then was driven home by Hannemann who sent a shot off the right field wall for a double to knot things up at 1-1. The run scored by Young was only Clark's second earned run allowed this season.

Clark began the eighth by walking RF Billy McKinney (0-3, BB) then surrendering Caratini on a fly out and Dugan with a strikeout. The Barons gave the ball to RHP Peter Tago (1.1 IP, H, ER, BB, SO) to get the final out of the eighth and he did just that by striking out Bruno.

Tennessee went to the bullpen to begin the seventh as RHP Miguel Mejia (3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 SO) took over for the Smokies. The 28-year-old got through the seventh and eight frames, but then gave up a solo shot off the bat of Hawkins on the very first pitch of the ninth giving Birmingham a 2-1 lead.

The Barons weren't done there as they took a 3-1 lead as CF Marcus Lemon (1-2, RBI) drove home 2B Joey DeMichele (1-4, R) with a sac fly to left.

The Smokies managed to make things interesting with their backs against the wall in the ninth with the bases loaded and none out, but LF Mark Zagunis (0-3, 2 BB, SO) grounded into a double play that managed to score 1B Bijan Rademacher (1-3, BB, R) that was then followed by 3B Jeimer Candelario (0-5, SO) hitting a pop up to third to end the game.

The Smokies and Barons will do it all again Tuesday afternoon with the first pitch set for 11:35 a.m. ET. Tennessee is set to give the mound to RHP Tyler Skulina (1-2,4.15 ERA) while the Barons will counter with LHP David Holmberg (1-3, 3.83 ERA).

The Pilot Pre-Game Show will kick off the broadcast at 11:20 a.m. ET, leading up to the 11:35 a.m. ET first pitch from Smokies Stadium. Tuesday's broadcast can be heard on exclusively online at SmokiesBaseball.com or via the TuneIn Radio or MiLB First Pitch apps. The game can also be watched online via MiLB.tv

It will be the final Health and Safety Day of the season, presented by Kohl's Cares and the East Tennessee Children's Hospital, on Tuesday. East Tennessee youngsters are invited to take in a game, in addition to learn about how to maintain a safe and healthy lifestyle through a fun and educational pre-game program.

Single-game tickets, as well as multi-voucher and season ticket packages are still available, and can be purchased online at smokiesbaseball.com, or by calling the Smokies Ticket Office at 865-286-2300.

Check out the Tennessee Smokies Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Southern League message board...

Southern League Stories from May 16, 2016


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central