Smokies Drop Finale in 13 Innings
MADISON, AL - The Tennessee Smokies (4-7) lost the series finale at Toyota Field against the Rocket City Trash Pandas (7-5) 12-8 in 13 innings Sunday afternoon. Darius Hill led the way offensively, going 5-for-6 with a double, a walk, three RBI’s, and a run scored. The Smokies finished with
MADISON, AL - The Tennessee Smokies (4-7) lost the series finale at Toyota Field against the Rocket City Trash Pandas (7-5) 12-8 in 13 innings Sunday afternoon. Darius Hill led the way offensively, going 5-for-6 with a double, a walk, three RBI’s, and a run scored. The Smokies finished with a season high 14 hits.
Vance Vizcaino’s two-run home run in the first inning got the scoring started. Rocket City took a 4-2 lead in the second after Ibandel Isabel’s grand slam. Solo home runs from Connor Myers and Tyler Payne in the fourth and fifth tied the game at four.
In the seventh, Gavin Cecchini broke the tie with a two-run single. The Smokies tied the game back up in the eighth. Myers singled and moved to third on Grayson Byrd’s double. Both scored on Hill’s game-tying two-run double.
Both teams scored their bonus runner in the tenth inning. Hill drove in Byrd for the Smokies run in the top half. After Isabel tied the game in the bottom half, Rocket City loaded the bases with no outs, but RHP Ethan Roberts worked out of a jam to keep the game tied.
The Smokies loaded up the bases in the 13th. Levi Jordan’s sacrifice fly scored Byrd to put Tennessee up 8-7. In the bottom half, Michael Stefanic’s RBI single tied the game, and David MacKinnon’s grand slam ended it for Rocket City.
Myers finished 3-for-6 with his first home run of the season. Vizcaino finished 2-for-6 with his third home run of the year. Byrd scored three times for the Smokies in the loss. Bryan Hudson, Ben Leeper, and Cayne Ueckert all tossed hitless outings of at least two innings.
The Smokies return home to begin a series with the Biloxi Shuckers at Smokies Stadium on Tuesday night. RHP Matt Swarmer will start the opener for Tennessee. Tuesday night at Smokies Stadium is Taco Tuesday, tickets for the entire series are available and can be purchased online, over the phone, or by visiting our box office.
ABOUT THE TENNESSEE SMOKIES
The Tennessee Smokies are the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Members of the eight-team Double-A South 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.