Hitting in the ninth hole, Shannon Wilkerson garnered six RBI.
photo by Tim Evearitt
The Chattanooga Lookouts (63-50) scored 14 runs on 19 hits to overpower the Smokies (62-53) and take the third game of this series by a score of 14-2. The Lookouts recorded a hit in each inning and the 19 hits ties a Lookouts season-high for hits in a game. The team also set their high for triples in a game with four.
Chattanooga's offense scored runs early and often against Smokies starting pitcher Rob Zastryzny. The team began the game with a Stephen Wickens double and a Max Kepler single. With two men on DJ Hicks blasted his fourth homer of the season. Two more runs crossed home plate in the first on a Travis Harrison RBI triple and a Levi Michael RBI single.
The runs continued to be piled on as the team tacked on one in the second to take a six-run lead. In the third Adam Brett Walker II smashed a home run for his 27th of the year. The slugger is now one away from tying the team record for homers in a season held by Tim Costo (1992) and Scott Schebler (2014).
After Walker's blast, two more runs scored on a Shannon Wilkerson two -un triple. That triple was his first of two on the day. The outfielder also finished the day with six RBIs which ties the team high set on August 9th by Stephen Wickens.
Already up nine runs the Lookouts added one more in the fourth, three in the sixth and one in the eighth to finish the scoring.
Lost in the offensive outburst was the tremendous job by the team's pitching staff. In just his second start Aaron Slegers only allowed two earned runs in six innings.
Nick Burdi relieved the starter in the seventh and fanned five in just two innings of work. This appearance marked Burdi's first since his return from Fort Myers.
Box
Saturday night is College Football Night at AT&T Field. Throughout the evening fans will have the chance to win two tickets to Florida at Kentucky (9/19), four tickets to Western Carolina at Tennessee (9/19),two tickets to Arkansas at Alabama (10/10), two tickets to Georgia at Tennessee (10/10), two tickets to Georgia at Auburn (11/14), four tickets to Vanderbilt at Tennessee (11/28) and two tickets to the SEC Championship Game (12/5) courtesy of Dr. Pepper.
Gates for Saturday's 7:15 p.m. game open at 6:00 p.m. and features a pitching matchup of DJ Baxendale (5-3, 3.92) against Ryan Williams (7-2, 2.70).
With plenty of offensive support, Aaron Slegers picked up his first win.
photo by Tim Evearitt