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SL1 Knoxville Smokies

Smokies Drop Series Opener 6-4

July 16, 2014 - Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release


HUNTSVILLE - Despite taking a 2-0 lead in the second, the Smokies dropped the opener of a five game series against the Stars in Huntsville 6-4 on Wednesday night at Joe W. Davis Municipal Stadium.

The loss dropped the Smokies (13-13, 46-49) to an even .500 record. The Stars (13-13, 59-37) moved themselves into an identical 13-13 record as the Smokies with the win.

Starting pitcher Matt Loosen took the loss after failing to hold the 2-0 second inning lead. Loosen (4-4, 5.86) allowed six earned runs on five hits over four innings and took the loss. He walked four and struck out five.

Jae-Hoon Ha helped the Smokies to the board first in the second with a two-run single off Huntsville starter Drew Gagnon. Ha singled to left to drive in both Charlie Cutler and Luis Flores and put the Smokies up 2-0. Cutler started the rally with a single to left-center and Flores doubled in the inning off Gagnon.

Gagnon (6-4, 3.21) allowed two runs and three hits in the second, but that would be all of the damage he allowed. Gagnon pitched seven full innings and allowed four run with two earned on five hits. He struck out five and walked one.

Loosen, on the other side for Tennessee, kept the Stars without a run in the first, but allowed one in the second, third and fourth innings. He was also charged with three runs allowed in the fifth despite leaving the game in the same inning.

Huntsville scored on a double play turn in the second to cut the Tennessee lead to one. They tied it in the third when Loosen, after striking out Gagnon, walked Josh Prince and gave up a two-out RBI single to Nick Ramirez. Prince scored on Ramirez' hit and the Stars tied the game at 2-2. Adam Weisenburger launched a solo home run in the fourth to break the tie and put the Stars up 3-2.

Loosen returned to the mound in the fifth and started the inning by allowing a double to his counterpart Gagnon to start the inning. Loosen then walked both Prince and Nick Shaw to load the bases with no outs in the fifth.

Loosen was pulled from the after walking Shaw in the fifth and with the Smokies down 3-2. Reliever Jeff Lorick followed Loosen and would allow all three of his inherited runners to score.

Ramirez drove in two Huntsville runs with a bloop single to shallow right and a fielder's choice grounded into by Hanley Statia resulted in the third run of the inning. The Stars scored three times on two hits and the Smokies were charged with one error in the inning.

Tennessee trailed 6-2 until they brought across two unearned runs in the seventh against Gagnon. Cutler started the inning with a walk and Flores joined him on the bases moments later a fielding error by Yadiel Rivera. Cutler scored on a Ha ground out to short and pinch hitter Jorge Soler drove in Flores with a single to left.

Gagnon allowed two unearned runs in the inning and just one hit. He finished the inning with his club still leading 6-4.

Soler was 1-for-1 in the game. He did not start and batted just once as a pinch hitter. Anthony Giansanti pinch ran for Soler immediately after the RBI single.

Former Smokies reliever Jim Henderson pitched a scoreless eighth. Henderson struck out two and faced just three batters in his Major League rehabilitation outing.

David Goforth closed the game with a scoreless ninth. He allowed one hit, but his defense turned a double play behind him in the inning.

The Smokies were held to six hits in the loss and were 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position. They also stranded just three baserunners.

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