Smokies Batter Barons, Take Rubber Game at Birmingham
Published on July 14, 2012 under Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release
Hoover, Ala. - Eric Jokisch allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings and the Tennessee Smokies jumped out to a 12-0 lead as they pounded the Birmingham Barons, 12-3, on Friday night in the rubber match of a three-game series at Regions Park. With the victory, the Smokies even up their second-half record at 10-10 while the Barons have now lost six of their last seven contests.
After rain delayed first pitch one hour, 22 minutes, the Smokies wasted no time getting the bats going. Following back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases with no outs in the first inning, Justin Bour laced an opposite-field double into the gap in right center, clearing the bags and giving Tennessee a 3-0 edge against Barons starter Matt Heidenreich. Two batters later, Mike Burgess drove an RBI single through the drawn-in infield to make it 4-0.
In the fourth inning, Tennessee used a pair of run-scoring two-out singles by Jae-Hoon Ha and Bour to plate three more runs and take a 7-0 lead. Then in the fifth, the Smokies loaded the bases again and plated three more runs thanks to an RBI single by Mike Brenly and a two-run single by Bour to extend their advantage to 10-0. Tennessee tacked on two more runs in the seventh to take a 12-0 lead.
Jokisch allowed a single to the first batter he faced, Tyler Saladino, but that was the lone hit the Barons would muster against the Smokies southpaw, who improved to 5-1 with the victory. The Barons didn't have a runner advance into scoring position until the fifth, when Jokisch walked three straight batters with two outs to load the bases before he escaped the jam.
After Trey McNutt fired two scoreless innings in his first relief appearance of the season, the Barons got on the scoreboard with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth with Casey Weathers on the mound, spoiling the shutout and snapping Tennessee's string of 19.1 straight scoreless innings pitched. Weathers walked in a run in the ninth to help the Barons cut their deficit to 12-3, but Casey Harman recorded the final two outs to seal the series-clinching victory.
Offensively, Bour finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs, giving him 69 on the season and vaulting him ahead of Huntsville's Hunter Morris for the Southern League lead. Watkins reached base five times, going 3-for-4 with a pair of walks and three runs scored.
The Smokies return home on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. when they welcome the Jackson Generals to Smokies Park for a four-game set. In the series opener, Tennessee will send right-hander Dae-Eun Rhee (5-4, 5.30 ERA) to the mound against Jackson righty Taijuan Walker (5-4, 4.50 ERA).
Southern League Stories from July 14, 2012
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- Smokies Batter Barons, Take Rubber Game at Birmingham - Knoxville Smokies
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