Lookouts Top Smokies in Series Finale

CHATTANOOGA, TN - The Tennessee Smokies (38-41, 5-5)  finished a five game series with an 8-4 defeat to the Chattanooga Lookouts (41-38, 5-5) at AT&T Field on Saturday night. Despite Tennessee grabbing the first three games of the series, the Lookouts responded with wins in the final two games.  
Entering tonight, each game of the series witnessed a run scored within the first three innings. Scott Moss kept that trend going by plating the first run after he singled to center field to score Calten Daal in the second. 
Chattanooga did not wait long to double their lead. Mitch Nay collected his seventh RBI in the series when he doubled in the third to score Alfredo Rodriguez. A few batters later, Tyler Stephenson tacked on another run off an RBI-single to bring Nay home. 
Zack Short earned his first hit as a Smoky this season with a run-scoring triple in the fifth inning to put the Smokies on the board. Southern League All-Star P.J. Higgins brought Short home courtesy of a sacrifice fly bringing the Smokies to within a run. 
LHP Scott Moss (W, 5-3) allowed two runs through five innings of work in a winning performance for Chattanooga. 
In the next frame the Lookouts quickly rebuilt their lead. RHP Cory Abbott (L, 5-4) forced Rodriguez to ground out to start the inning, but Abbott gave up a walk and single afterwards, setting the stage for the red hot Ibandel Isabel to pick up his 12th RBI since the All-Star break. Isabel doubled on a 1-2 pitch to deep centerfield scoring two runs and pushing the Lookouts lead to 5-2. They later loaded the bases for Stuart Fairchild who drew a walk to score the third run of the frame.
In the sixth, Nay blasted the Lookouts' seventh homer of the series to add Chattanooga's seventh run of the game.
Higgins picked up his second RBI of the game in the top of the seventh on a line drive single scoring Roberto Caro who led off the inning with a double. Once again, the Lookouts responded with a run of their own after the Smokies scored. Fairchild doubled in Stephenson in the bottom of the seventh to run the score up to 8-3.
The rally for the Smokies ended up being too little and too late. Vimael Machin hit a sacrifice fly off LHP Juan Martinez (S, 3) in the top of the ninth bringing Short home, producing the 8-4 final.
Tennessee returns home to play their first four game series of the season as they face off against the Chicago White Sox affiliate in the Birmingham Barons. Fans should be sure to get to Smokies Stadium early for the 20th Anniversary Season  card set giveaway featuring players like Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and more. First pitch between Smokies' RHP Tyson Miller (4-3, 2.55) and Barons' RHP Blake Battenfield (2-2, 5.12) is scheduled for 5:30 pm EDT.