Trash Pandas Welcome 6,597 Fans to Toyota Field on Opening Night, Fall 9-1
SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

Trash Pandas Welcome 6,597 Fans to Toyota Field on Opening Night, Fall 9-1

Published on April 4, 2025 under Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


MADISON, Ala. - The Rocket City Trash Pandas opened their fifth season on Friday night, welcoming 6,597 fans to Toyota Field - the largest opening night crowd for the club since their inaugural home game on May 11, 2021. On the field, the Chattanooga Lookouts knocked off Rocket City 9-1.

The Lookouts wasted no time in the new season, getting on the scoreboard by sending eight to the plate in the first inning and jumping out to a 2-0 lead. Edwin Arroyo singled to start the season and was joined on the bases by Sal Stewart, who was hit by a George Klassen (L, 0-1) pitch, and Ruben Ibarra, who followed with a single to load the bases. Hector Rodriguez took advantage and blooped a single to left, scoring two.

Chattanooga created separation in the third inning by sending ten batters to the plate and scoring four more runs to lead 6-0, capped by an Ibarra two-run home run to left.

In Klassen's first start of 2025, he allowed six earned runs on seven hits over 2.1 innings, walking two and striking out two.

Jay Allen II and Michael Trautwein hit RBI doubles in the fourth inning, capitalizing on two walks from reliever Ryan Costeiu to extend the lead to 9-0. Costeiu provided the Trash Pandas some innings on Friday night, covering 3.0 innings, striking out three and walking three, and throwing 56 pitches.

Myles Emmerson notched the first hit for Rocket City with a leadoff double in the third inning and provided the first run of the new season in the bottom of the fifth. The 26-year-old catcher launched a Jose Acuna (W, 1-0) pitch over the left-field wall for his second career home run with Rocket City, making it 9-1. That would be the final tally of the night.

Acuna, returning for his second season to Chattanooga, yielded just one run on two hits over 5.0 innings, walking three and striking out three. Rocket City relievers Jared Southard and Kelvin Cáceres combined for 3.0 shutout innings on three hits to close out the game.

The Trash Pandas and Lookouts meet again on Saturday night at Toyota Field for game two of the three-game series. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. The Trash Pandas will send hard-throwing RHP Walbert Urena (0-0, --) to the mound and will face Chattanooga RHP Kevin Abel (0-0, --).

Check out the Rocket City Trash Pandas Statistics

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Southern League Stories from April 4, 2025


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