Lookouts Outlast Barons In 21-Inning Marathon

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The Chattanooga Lookouts and the Birmingham Barons battled each other step-for-step on Saturday night, in what ended up tying the longest game in all of Minor League Baseball during the 2017 season, before the Lookouts emerged victorious, 2-1 in 21 innings.
The Barons kick started the scoring in the first inning, as Jose Vinicio and Danny Mendick led off the game with a double and single respectively, setting up Mason Robbins, who drove home Vinicio with a fielder's choice grounder to stake Tanner Banks to a 1-0 lead.

Banks would take the 1-0 lead and navigate his way through a potent Lookouts' lineup for eight innings, keeping Chattanooga off the board.
Banks would finally yield to the bullpen in the ninth, after scattering four hits and one walk, while striking out six.
In the ninth, Scott Snodgress retired the first two of the inning, before giving way to Robinson Leyer. But, the Lookouts mounted a two-out rally, tying the game on an RBI single off the bat of Andy Wilkins.
Over the next nine innings, the teams would engage in a scoreless battle, emptying out their respective bullpens in the process. The Barons used three relievers, while the Lookouts spread the innings over four.
With the game still knotted at one in the 19^th, Chattanooga handed the ball to a regular infielder Alex Perez, who tossed two scoreless innings, before turning the game over to a regular outfielder Max Murphy in the 21^st.  
With Murphy pitching a clean 21^st, infielder Toby Thomas stepped on the mound for Barons in the bottom half. After striking out the first two batters of the inning, Thomas then walked the next four, including Levi Michael, which proved to be the walk-off walk after five hours and 29 minutes of game action.
Robbins, Vinicio and Mendick each collected two hits to lead the Barons' 10-hit attack, while Jake Johansen , Thaddius Lowry and Drew Hasler each tossed three-plus scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
The Barons will head home for the start of a five-game homestand against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, beginning tomorrow evening at 6:00 p.m. CT. Right-hander Jordan Stephens will take the ball for the Barons and fellow righty Keury Mella gets the start for Pensacola. Curt Bloom will bring you all the action starting with the Coca-Cola pregame show starting at 6:05 p.m. on 105.5 FM WERC and the iHeart Radio app.
For ticket information, game schedule, promotions calendar or for additional information about Regions Field, call (205) 988-3200, or visit www.barons.com, www.facebook.com/birminghambarons or on Twitter: @bhambarons.