Long ball spurs Smokies' 3-1 win
May 15, 2006 - Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release
SEVIERVILLE, Tenn.- The Tennessee bats were quiet through the first five innings of play on Monday night before back-to-back home runs from Jerry Gil and Miguel Montero in the sixth inning powered the Smokies to a 3-1 win over Hunstville at Smokies Park.
Huntsville's Travis Phelps, recently signed from Camden of the independent Atlantic League, cruised through the first five innings of play before Gil jumped on a 0-1 count slider with shortstop Alberto Gonzalez on base gave the Smokies a 2-1 lead. One batter later, catcher Montero ripped his second home run in as many days to right field to give Tennessee the 3-1 lead and eventually the win.
Montero had been mired in a mini-slump before breaking out of it on Sunday and continuing his hot hitting on Monday including a bunt-single in the bottom of the fourth inning. Montero's 2-for-4 night raised his average up to .286 on the season while his home run netted his 26th RBI, good enough for 5th in the Southern League.
Smokies starter Clint Goocher kept the team in the game with five innings of work before handing the ball over to Dustin Glant who recorded his second win of the season in 1.1 innings of work. Matt Wilkinson and Doug Slaten continued to keep the Stars' bats at bay before closer Tony Pena worked the ninth inning to recordhis fifth save of the season.
Huntsville scored it's lone run in the third inning on a Ron Acuna single to center field that scored shortstop Ozzie Chavez who led off the inning to with a single of his own. The Stars had pleanty of chances throughout the course of the game, stranding 12 base runners over nine innings of play.
The two teams close out the series on Tuesday morning with an 11:30 a.m. start at Smokies Park.
Southern League Stories from May 15, 2006
- Suns shut out BayBears second time, jump back into first place - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Biscuits fall to Diamond Jaxx, 2-1 - Montgomery Biscuits
- Long ball spurs Smokies' 3-1 win - Knoxville Smokies
- Jacksonville shuts out BayBears - Mobile BayBears
- Mudcats plate two in seventh to earn sweep - Carolina Mudcats
- Cave activated, Brandenburg reassigned - Carolina Mudcats
- Montanez named Southern League Hitter of the Week - Jackson Generals
- Raburn joins Biscuits - Montgomery Biscuits
- Southern League names players of the week - SL1
- Lookouts game notes - Chattanooga Lookouts
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