11 Unanswered Runs Leads To Lookouts Big Win Over Smokies Sunday

Chattanooga Has Off Day Monday Before Opening In Pensacola

  • Sunday, August 16, 2015
Max Kepler had three hits to maintain his leading average in the Southern League.
Max Kepler had three hits to maintain his leading average in the Southern League.
photo by Tim Evearitt

Despite jumping out a 4-0 lead, Tennessee could not hang on. Chattanooga SS Niko Goodrum sparked the comeback by drilling the go-ahead, three-run single in the fifth and added a two-run homer in the seventh, as the Lookouts scored the final 11 runs of the game to defeat the Smokies, 11-4, on Sunday afternoon at AT&T Field.

With the victory, Chattanooga captured the series and improved to 22-26 in the second leg of the 2015 season and 65-51 in total.

Goodrum  stole the show for Chattanooga by tallying a game-best four RBI. The switch-hitter fell a double short of hitting for the cycle.

Switch-hitting Niko Goodrum

With the Smokies leading 4-1 entering the bottom of the fifth, Chattanooga took advantage of a pair of free passes. With two on and nobody out, Max Kepler singled to right and D.J. Hicks walked to bring the tying run to the plate. Andres Santiago replaced Tennessee starter Jeffry Antigua.

Travis Harrison drew a walk to load the bases for Adam Brett Walker. The Southern League's leader in RBI's smacked a run-scoring single to center to cut the deficit to 4-2.

With the bases still loaded, Goodrum put the Lookouts ahead for good. On a 1-2 offering, the switch-hitter knocked a line drive into left-center field for a base-hit. Kepler and Hicks scored easily to tie the game and Harrison crossed the plate on a throwing error. In all, three runs scored to give the Lookouts their first and only lead of the game, 5-4. The attack did not end there. Catcher Jairo Rodriguez drove home Goodrum with an RBI single to center.

Chattanooga added another run in the sixth and four more in the seventh. 

In the sixth, the Lookouts stretched the advantage to 7-4, as Kepler doubled with two away and Hicks brought him home with a run-scoring single to right.

In the seventh, Goodrum cracked a two-run blast over the right field wall (his fourth homer with the Lookouts and his seventh of the year to make it 9-4. Later in the frame, Kepler added to the home team's advantage with a two-run double off the wall in the left.

The Smokies initially jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first three innings of the contest. Despite surrendering four runs, Lookouts starter Jason Wheeler exited with the lead. The southpaw went five innings to improve his Double-A record to 3-2 on the year.

The Lookouts bullpen was outstanding in support of Wheeler. Alex Wimmers, D.J. Johnson, and J.T. Chargois combined to allow just two baserunners over four shutout innings to close out the contest.

Smokies' pitcher Santiago suffered his fifth loss of the campaign in relief.

Box

After an off day Monday, Chattanooga opens a five-game series Tuesday night with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Each play can be heard over 105.1 FM. Larry Ward will call the play-by-play.

Despite giving up four runs, Jason Wheeler was the winning pitcher.
Despite giving up four runs, Jason Wheeler was the winning pitcher.
photo by Tim Evearitt
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