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SL Rocket City Trash Pandas

Walk-Off Homer Stings Trash Pandas in 4-3 Loss

June 13, 2023 - Southern League (SL)
Rocket City Trash Pandas News Release


CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee - The Rocket City Trash Pandas let three separate one-run leads slip away, falling 4-3 in 10 innings to the Chattanooga Lookouts in the opener of a six-game series at AT&T Field on Tuesday night.

With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the tenth, a ground ball advanced automatic runner Jeremiah Jackson to third with two outs. Ryan Meisinger (W, 3-0) had two strikes on Rocket City catcher Tyler Payne. But a balk allowed Jackson to come home and put the Trash Pandas ahead 3-2.

Returning for his second inning of work, Rocket City reliever Kenyon Yovan (L, 2-2) also got ahead of Rece Hinds. On a 1-2 pitch, Hinds connected on a walk-off two-run homer to center, his second home run of the night, giving the Lookouts their first lead of the night to win on the final pitch of the game.

The game began better than it ended for the visitors as the Trash Pandas struck first. The third hitter of the game, Kyren Paris, connected on an opposite-field solo home run 370 feet to right field, his team-leading 11th home run of the season. Rocket City looked to add on in the second, as an error allowed Orlando Martinez to reach and Sonny DiChiara doubled to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Phillips responded by striking out the next three hitters he faced to strand the runners.

In the bottom of the third, the Lookouts broke through against Trash Pandas starter Jack Kochanowicz to tie the game. Blake Dunn was hit by a pitch to start the inning. A hit by pitch and a double play followed, leaving Dunn at third with two outs. James Free cashed in with a two-out single up the middle to even the score at one.

Rocket City regained the lead in the fourth. Livan Soto got the inning started with a single to right. Martinez followed with a double to the gap in right-center, plating Soto to put the visitors back in front. A ground out moved Martinez to third. But the Trash Pandas were unable to add on, as Tucker Flint struck out and Jackson grounded out to keep the score 2-1.

Kochanowicz held the lead by working around a pair of runners in the fifth. However, he couldn't hold the lead through the sixth. With two outs and nobody on, Hinds tied the game with a long solo home run over the wall in right center. That would prove to be Kochanowicz's last pitch. Over 5.2 innings, the Rocket City righty allowed two runs on six hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Luke Murphy was first out of the bullpen and allowed a double and a walk before retiring Dunn on a line out to second to end the inning with the score tied.

For the Lookouts, Phillips allowed two runs on seven over six innings, striking out 12 in a quality start. Donovan Benoit and Kolton Ingram each threw a scoreless seventh to maintain the tie. Benoit and Andy Fisher combined on a scoreless eighth. Kelvin Caceres allowed a single and a walk to start the eighth. He escaped the jam with back-to-back strikeouts before a ground out from Ivan Johnson to keep the game tied going to the ninth.

Meisinger kept the Trash Pandas off the board in the top of the ninth, and Yovan did the same for the Trash Pandas in the bottom half to send the game to extra innings.

Martinez was the only Rocket City player to record a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with an RBI double.

The Trash Pandas (27-31) continue their six-game series with the Lookouts (32-25) on Wednesday night. First pitch at AT&T Field is set for 6:15 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.

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Southern League Stories from June 13, 2023


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