Chattanooga's Brian Rey applies the tag to the Trash Pandas' Anthony Mulrine in a game played Wednesday night at AT&T Field. Umpire Jonathan Benken, left, observes the play. The Lookouts lost, 6-4, to Rocket City.
photo by Glen Austin
There wasn’t much to cheer about at AT&T Wednesday night.
The Chattanooga Lookouts, trying to build on Tuesday’s 5-1 win after losing four of their previous five, couldn’t make it happen as the Rocket City Trash Pandas scored the winning runs in the eighth inning en route to a 6-4 victory.
Rocket City improves to 38-39 while Chattanooga falls to 40-37.
The Trash Pandas took an early lead with a two-run homer from Brendon Davis in the first inning.
Wilson Garcia scored on a wild pitch for the Lookouts in the second to cut that lead in half before Rocket City added another run in the fifth.
Chattanooga tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Yoel Yanqui started the rally with a two-out double and scored on a single by Brian Rey. Lorenzo Cedrola followed with another single to plate Rey and the game was tied at 3-3.
Chattanooga took a 4-3 lead in the sixth, but were unable to keep it.
Errol Robinson singled and stole second before scoring on a single by Quincy McAfee.
Neither team scored in the seventh, but Rocket City put the winning runs on the board in the eighth when the Trash Pandas scored three times.
Luis Aviles Jr. and Orlando Martinez both had RBI-singles while the third run scored on a throwing error by catcher Chuckie Robinson.
The Lookouts never threatened again as their final nine hitters were retired in order.
Elvis Peguero, the second Rocket City pitcher, earned the win after pitching one and a third innings and allowing no runs while striking out two.
Eddy Demurias, Chattanooga’s fourth hurler, took the loss after allowing those final three runs on three hits.
Rocket City finished with 11 hits, including three from Martinez and two from Torii Hunter Jr.
Chattanooga collected eight hits from eight different players.
The series continues on Thursday at 7:15 with highly-touted Graham Ashcraft scheduled to pitch for the Lookouts.
Perhaps there was a silver lining to the dark clouds that surrounded the game as the 1,825 fans were rewarded with several boxes of Girl Scout cookies as they headed to the parking lot. That wasn't much of a reward, but it was better than nothing.
ROCKET CITY 200 010 030 – 6 11 1
CHATTANOOGA 010 021 000 – 4 8 2
Junk, Peguero (6), Ingram (8), Tyler (9) and Mulrine, Cruz (8); Baker, Figueroa (4), Byrne (5), Demurias (7), Perez (8), Wynne (9) and Robinson.
(email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)