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SL1 Knoxville Smokies

Hannemann Shines in Debut as Smokies Top Lookouts 7-6

April 28, 2015 - Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release


Tennessee Smokies Center Fielder Jacob Hannemann
Tennessee Smokies Center Fielder Jacob Hannemann
(Knoxville Smokies)

KODAK - Tennessee center fielder Jacob Hannemann homered in his very first Double-A and Smokies at bat, while designated hitter Kyle Schwarber drove in three more runs and homered, and shortstop Elliot Soto brought home the decisive run with a go-ahead run-scoring single in the Smokies' 7-6 series-clinching win over the Chattanooga Lookouts on Tuesday evening at Smokies Stadium.

The win improves Tennessee's overall record to 11-6 in 2015 and maintains their first place lead in the Southern League North Division. With the defeat, Chattanooga dropped to 8-10 overall this season and have fallen in seven of their last nine contests.

Hannemann made quite the first impression in his first ever taste at the Double-A level, making his initial at bat a memorable one. Promoted from High-A Myrtle Beach prior to tonight's game, the 24-year-old clubbed the seventh pitch of the at bat over the right field wall to give the Smokies the early 1-0 advantage. That margin would double to two just two batters later, when Schwarber smashed his fourth longball of the season, a towering blast to right.

A Lookouts longball, however, from a familiar foe drew the match even in the third. After CF Byron Buxton walked and then stole second, 1B DJ Hicks stepped in and cranked a two-run blast to right-center to make it 2-2. Hicks' homer was his third of the series, after leaving the yard in the first and second games of the series.

The defeat drops Tennessee's overall mark in 2015 to 10-7, though the club still maintains their lead in the Southern League North Division standings. Chattanooga's victory was the team's second in a row, pushing them back up to the .500 mark at 9-9 this year.

Hicks began his big night with a game-tying two run blast in the third after smashing longballs in the first and second contests of the series. The left-handed slugger would then later bring home the tying and go-ahead tallies courtesy of his two-run single in the sixth to cap Chattanooga's scoring.

The tie did not last long, though, as Tennessee answered with two tallies of their own thanks to another longball in the subsequent half of the frame. C Willson Contreras laced a single to left with two outs to extend the inning for RF Bijan Rademacher, who clocked his first Double-A roundtripper with a bullet to right to give the Smokies the lead again at 4-2.

After swapping single scores in the fourth, the Lookouts grabbed their first and only lead in the sixth with a three-spot. DH Mike Gonzales led off with a solo blast to cut the Smokies' lead to 5-4 before LF Adam Walker doubled and took third on a wild pitch. Free passes issued to Buxton and SS Jorge Polanco then loaded the bases for Hicks, who came through again wtih a two-run single to right, pushing Chattanooga ahead 6-5.

One inning later, Tennessee evened the contest at 6-6 via Schwarber's third RBI of the night. LF Pin-Chieh Chen at first started the inning by reaching base on an infield single to send up Baseball America's No. 19 overall prospect, who crushed the 2-2 offering into the right-center field gap to plate Chen from first.

The Smokies would then waste little time securing their final advantage, taking the lead for good in the eighth. Rademacher started the frame by lacing a single into right field, and then scampering all the way to third on a two-base error by Lookouts RF Travis Harrison to put the go-ahead run 90 feet from home. Following a popout, Soto stepped in and slapped a soft liner just over Polanco's glove into center field to bring home Rademacher.

Tennessee then brought on right-hander P.J. Francescon (1.0 IP, 1 BB, 1 SO) for the final frame, tossing a scoreless inning to notch his second save of the season, and preserve the series-winning triumph. Smokies reliever Stephen Perakslis (1.0 IP, 2 SO) earned the victory to bump his record to 2-1 in 2015, while Lookouts relief man Dallas Gallant (1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 SO) suffered his first loss of the campaign. Neither side's starter, Tennessee's Ivan Pineyro (5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 6 SO), nor Chattanooga's Greg Peavey (4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) factored in the final decisions.

Hannemann (3-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 SB) led all hitters with his three base knocks in his Smokies debut, while Schwarber, Contreras, Rademacher and Soto all recorded multi-hit efforts. Hicks (2-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB) and Gonzales (2-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI) were the lone Lookouts batters to record two hits in the losing effort.

Schwarber extended his impressive run, and has driven in at least one RBI in each of his last seven contests, the longest such stretch by a Smokies player since at least 2010. Over that span, the 23-year-old has posted a .484 batting average (15-31), adding seven runs, three doubles, three homers and 11 RBI, while also scoring at least one run in six consecutive contests.

Tennessee will look to take four out of five from the Lookouts with a special Wednesday matinee series finale, with first pitch scheduled for noon ET at Smokies Stadium. The Smokies are expected to give the ball to RHP Felix Pena (2-0, 1.53) in game five, while the Lookouts are anticipated to give the ball to RHP DJ Baxendale (2-0, 0.95).

Those unable to attend can catch the game on MiLB.tv and smokiesbaseball.com, as well as the MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn apps. Mick Gillispie and Justin Rocke will be calling the action beginning with the Pilot Pre-Game Show at 11:45 a.m. ET.

Tickets for that evening's contest and all other remaining Smokies home games are still available, and can be purchased online by clicking here, or by calling the Smokies Ticket Office at (865) 286-2300.

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Tennessee Smokies Center Fielder Jacob Hannemann
Tennessee Smokies Center Fielder Jacob Hannemann
   



Southern League Stories from April 28, 2015


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