SL1 Knoxville Smokies

Smokies Comeback Comes Up Short, 11-8

Published on August 5, 2007 under Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release


Sevierville, TN - The Tennessee Smokies, after being down by as many as five runs, mounted a valiant comeback against the visiting Montgomery Biscuits to tie the game. But a three-run seventh propelled the Biscuits to an 11-8 win over the Smokies in front of 4,914 fans on Sunday night to drop Tennessee to 22-22 for the second half of the season. The Smokies logged in fifteen hits on the night, but it was not enough to overcome the potent Montgomery offense.

For the second straight night, the Biscuit hitters jumped on top of the Smokies early in the first inning. Fernando Perez crushed a lead-off homer off of Smokies starting pitcher Ryan O'Malley to straight away center field to give Montgomery a 1-0 advantage. Montgomery plated three more runs in the inning off of O'Malley, two of them coming off a Rhyne Hughes double, and the Smokies found themselves down 4-0.

Tennessee looked to get back into the contest in the bottom half of the second inning however. Jemel Spearman led off the inning with a triple to get things going for Tennessee. Spearman scored on the next play thanks to an RBI single off the bat of Nate Spears. The Smokies plated another run on a Robinson Chirinos fielders choice ground out that scored Spears. Despite having additional chances, that would be all the Smokies could muster in the inning, cutting the Biscuits lead to 4-2.

Montgomery plated another run in the third, followed by two more in the fourth to take a seemingly commanding 7-2 lead. That is when the Smokies offense got going. An RBI single by Kyle Reynolds pulled the Smokies to within four runs after the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, Tennessee closed the gap to just two runs after solo home runs by both Nate Spears and Robinson Chirinos made the score 7-5.

The Smokies tied the game in the bottom half of the sixth inning thanks in part to three consecutive singles with one out off the bats of Reynolds, Alan Rick, and Issmael Salas. With the bases loaded, Jemel Spearman delivered once again with a two RBI single to score Reynolds and Rick, which tied the game at 7-7. An inning ending double play by Spears killed the rally however, but the damage had been done by the Smokies offense.

The Biscuits bats woke back up again in the next inning however. Newly acquired Smokies pitcher Mitch Atkins (0-1) came on in relief, his first appearance as a reliever this season. Montgomery got to Atkins in the inning, the most notable a two-RBI double from Patrick Breen. When it was all said and done, the Biscuits had a 10-7 lead. That would be all the Biscuits would need on the night. Despite another solo home run from Rick, his second as a Smokie, Tennessee could not surmount the late three run lead. Richard De Los Santos (2-4) notched the win in relief for Montgomery, with Dale Thayer recording his twenty first save of the season. The Smokies will host Montgomery for the final game of this five-game series on Monday night beginning at 7:15 pm. Tennessee will send right-hander Jeff Samardzija (0-0, 0.00) to the mound for his first Smokies Park appearance to face Biscuits left-hander Jon Barratt (2-8, 5.00).

Tennessee Smokies Baseball - It's A Nine Inning Vacation! Call (865) 286-2300 for tickets or purchase tickets on line at www.smokiesbaseball.com.

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Southern League Stories from August 5, 2007


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