Smokies Walk off with 7-6 12th Inning Win over Biscuits
Published on August 21, 2015 under Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release
SEVIERVILLE - After designated hitter Willson Contreras' game-tying solo home run in the seventh forced extra innings, Smokies left fielder Albert Almora Jr. slapped a walk-off single up the middle in the twelfth inning after Tennessee relievers Matt Brazis and Starling Peralta combined for the final 6.1 shutout innings of relief to beat the Montgomery Biscuits 7-6 in a marathon first game of an originally doubleheader in front of 5,162 fans on Friday evening at Smokies Stadium.
Due to the length of the first game, the scheduled nightcap has been postponed to Saturday evening and will be made up as part of a doubleheader beginning at 5:35 p.m. Both games will last seven innings, with game two following approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opening matchup. The first 1,000 fans through the gates will receive a Pat Summitt bobblehead, with gates opening at 4:45 p.m. Ticket for tonight's contests can also be exchanged for any remaining 2015 Smokies home game at the Smokies Ticket Office.
With the win, the Smokies improved to one game below the .500 mark in th second half at 26-27, and moved to within six games of the Biscuits for first place in the North Division standings. The defeat dropped Montgomery to 32-21 since the midpoint of the campaign, in addition to a 66-55 overall mark.
After being held scoreless over four extra frames, Tennessee broke through with the winning run in the 12th. 1B Anthony Giansanti got the winning rally going with a leadoff single to left, took second on a wild pitch and third on CF Jacob Hannemann's infield bunt base hit to set the scene for Almora Jr. After taking two strikes, the 21-year-old line a single into center field to easily plate Giansanti and cue the celebration.
The Smokies came into the seventh and final frame of regulation trailing 6-4, yet were able to erase the deficit and force the extra frames. Almora Jr. started the last of the seventh with a double to center and then advanced to third on a groundout, before coming plateward via a wild pitch to bring Tennessee to within one. Contreras, the very next batter, proceeded to crush a solo home run to left-center field, his seventh longball of the year to extend the ballgame.
Following a single tally on 1B Cameron Seitzer's RBI base knock to center in the opening frame, Montgomery scored three more runs in the second to take an early 4-0 advantage. C Jake DePew reached base on a forceout and 2B Tommy Coyle drew a walk to bring up CF Tyler Goeddel with two outs, bringing both home with a double to left. Following a steal of third, Goeddel would come home courtesy of 3B Patrick Leonard's run-scoring infield single.
Tennessee did return fire, however, countering with a two spot in the last of the second. 3B Jeimer Candelario began the frame with a double to right, and scampered to third on a flyout, before being driven in via 2B Ryan Dent's RBI double to left to get the Smokies on the board. The deficit would then be narrowed to two when Giansanti slapped a base hit to center to score Dent and make it a 4-2 contest.
Both sides later traded two scores in the sixth to keep it a two-run Biscuits advantage. DH Justin O'Conner and DePew struck for Montgomery, each driving in a run with a double and single, respectively to open up their lead to four at first. The Smokies closed the distance again, however, thanks to C Taylor Davis' RBI double to center and SS Jonathan Mota's sacrifice fly to right, with the Biscuits holding a two-run lead going into the seventh.
Tennessee did have chances to finish the contest in each of the extra innings between the eighth and 12th, placing the would-be winning run into scoring position. Montgomery's relievers were up to the task in the first first four extra frames, before finally breaking through in the 12th.
Smokies relief man Starling Peralta (4.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 2 SO) earned the win with his four shutout innings of work, following Matt Brazis' (2.1 IP, H, BB, 3 SO) 2.1 innings of one-hit ball. Montgomery reliever Mark Sappington (2.0 IP, 4 H, R, ER, 3 BB, 3 SO) suffered the defeat, with neither Biscuits starter Chris Kirsch (6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO) nor Smokies starter Ryan Williams (5.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) receiving a decision.
Almora Jr. (2-7, R, 2B, RBI) was one of five Smokies batters to record a multi-hit effort, along with Rademacher (2-5, RBI, BB), Contreras (2-5, R, HR, RBI, BB), Candelario (2-6, 2 R, 2B) and Dent (2-6, R, 2 2B, RBI, 2 BB), while Giansanti (3-5, R, RBI)led all batters with three hits. Goeddel (2-5, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB), Leonard (2-6, RBI) and Seitzer (2-4, RBI, BB) all tallied two base knocks each for Montgomery in the loss.
The two teams are scheduled to faceoff in a doubleheader Saturday evening to complete their six-game series, with first pitch of game one scheduled for 5:35p.m. Tennessee is anticipated to send LHP Jeffry Antigua to the hill in game one, with Montgomery expected to give the nod to RHP Jake Faria (4-4, 4.71). RHP Fernando Cruz is then slated to toe the rubber for the Smokies in the nightcap, while the Biscuits have not yet announced their game two starter.
It will be UT Night at the ballpark Saturday, with the first 1,000 fans through the gates receiving a bobblehead of the legendary University of Tennessee Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt, with gates opening at 4:45 p.m. Smokies players and coaches will also be donning special orange jerseys that will be auctioned and raffled off to benefit the Pat Summitt Foundation. Additional items signed by Summitt, including an orange jersey also featuring the 1,098 victories on the back, along with several baseballs, a basketball and signed bobblehead, will also be auctioned and raffled off to benefit the Pat Summitt Foundation.
Tickets for all remaining 2015 home contests at Smokies Stadium are still available and can be purchased online at smokiesbaseball.com, or by calling the Smokies Ticket Office at 865-286-2300.
Southern League Stories from August 21, 2015
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