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SL1 Knoxville Smokies

Walk-off single wins it for Smokies Friday night, 5-4

September 18, 2009 - Southern League (SL1)
Knoxville Smokies News Release


SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. - Friday night's Game 3 of the Southern League Championship Series once again came down to a single run. On manager Ryne Sandberg's 50th birthday though, it was the Tennessee Smokies who delivered the knockout blow. Starlin Castro's game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth gave the Smokies a 5-4 victory over the Jacksonville Suns, cutting the Suns' series lead to two-games-to-one in this best-of-five series.

With the score 4-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Smokies were looking to get a runner into scoring position. Brandon Guyer's one-out single and subsequent stolen base accomplished this, putting him on second. Castro then slapped a 2-2 pitch off Jacksonville reliever Kasey Olenberger (0-1) up the middle to score Guyer for the game-winner.

Tennessee looked to erase the late-inning drama that plagued them in Games 1 & 2 in Jacksonville. The Smokies countered an early run by the Suns with three of their own in the bottom of the first. RBI singles by Blake Lalli, Marquez Smith and Welington Castillo put the Smokies up 3-1 after one.

Jacksonville's Bryan Petersen, hitting .433 in this week's series, answered the Smokies three-spot with a two-run home run to right in the second, tying the game at three.

The Suns would retake the lead in the third on a Scott Cousins sacrifice fly off Tennessee starter Casey Coleman. Coleman would leave the game after four innings of work, allowing four runs on five hits. He would strike out three and walk two.

After Tyler Colvin's two-out RBI-double to right in the fifth tied the game at four, the Smokies bullpen would take care of the rest. David Cales and Marcos Mateo (2-1) kept the Suns off the board for the final five innings. Combined, the duo struck out five and allowed only three hits.

Game 4 of the Southern League Championship Series between the Smokies and Suns is Saturday night 7:15 p.m. at Smokies Park. Andrew Cashner (0-0) gets the start for Tennessee and will face off against Elih Villanueva (0-0) for Jacksonville. Tickets can be purchased at www.smokiesbaseball.com, by calling (865) 286-2300 or at the Smokies Park ticket office.

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