SMOKIES FALL TO GENERALS IN GAME TWO ON RECORD BREAKING NIGHT

SEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE  - The Tennessee Smokies lost their second consecutive game to the Jackson Generals 11-0 Friday night in front of 4,311 fans at Smokies Stadium to set the new single-season attendance record.
Needing 1,566 fans to set the organization's single-season attendance record, the Smokies drew 4,311 fans to set a new mark of 296,439 with three more scheduled home games remaining. Friday's record surpasses the previous mark of 293,694 fans that walked through the gates in Sevierville during the 2016 campaign, marking the second consecutive record breaking year for the club.
Matt Swarmer got the ball for Tennessee as he went 4.0 innings giving up 13 hits and ten earned runs. Preston Morrison, Tommy Thorpe, Craig Brooks, and James Norwood would come in for relief duties out of the bullpen for the Smokies.
Marty Herum led the Jackson Generals with five RBI's on the night. Vladimir Frias, Oscar Hernández, and Kevin Cron would all post two RBI's on the night. The Smokies posted seven hits, but failed to cross the plate. The Generals would post four runs in the first giving them the 4-0 lead. The scoring would continue for the Generals, as they would post two in the second and one in the third inning to extend the lead to 7-0. Herum and Frias would single to drive in three more runs in the top of the fourth. The Smokies offense would remain flat and the Generals would score one more to end the scoring at 11-0 in favor of Jackson.
Brad Keller would get the start for Generals. Keller pitched 6.2 innings giving up six hits while giving up no runs. Kirby Bellow and Mitchell Akers would come in for the final three innings of relief for the Generals.
The Smokies will take on the Generals in game three of the series tomorrow night as the first 1,000 fans will receive a Kris Bryant Bobblehead, presented by Senior Benefit inc., NexGard, and Heartgard. The contest will also feature appearances from Jake The Diamond Dog, courtesy of PetSafe. The Smokies will look to surpass welcoming 300,000 fans into the ballpark on Saturday night during the 2017 season. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. with gates opening at 5:30 p.m.
ABOUT THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES
The Tennessee Smokies are the Double-A affiliate of the World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. Members of the ten-team Southern League, Smokies baseball has been entertaining families and fans of America's national pastime in the East Tennessee region for over 100 years. To learn more about the Tennessee Smokies, visit www.smokiesbaseball.com