Monthly Archives: July 2012

By Adam Kline / Smokies Radio Network

KODAK, Tenn. – The Tennessee Smokies used solid pitching and timely hitting to sweep the Pensacola Blue Wahoos in a Monday night doubleheader at Smokies Park, 6-3 and 3-2.  The wins, in front of 3,973, improve the Smokies to 17-20 on the season’s second half, 52-55 overall.  Pensacola drops to 20-17, 54-52.

GAME 1
In the first-ever meeting between the Smokies and Blue Wahoos, Tennessee jumped out to a big lead in the first inning scoring five runs off Pensacola starter Mark Serrano.  Matt Szczur and Logan Watkins led off with back-to-back singles and Szczur would score on a double by Junior Lake.  Justin Bour followed with a single, scoring Watkins for his league-leading 84th RBI of the season.  Greg Rohan capped off the opening frame with a three-run home run to give Tennessee a 5-0 lead.

Tennessee would add to their lead in the fifth when Mike Brenly hit a bases loaded single to score Lake from third, giving the Smokies a 6-0 advantage.

Smokies starter Eric Jokisch kept the Blue Wahoos offence in check allowing just one hit over his first five innings of work.  Pensacola scored three times on four hits in the sixth to narrow the gap to 6-3.  But Joksich was able to limit the damage and toss his first complete game of the season.

Jokisch (7-2) finished the game allowing three runs on five hits, striking out two in his seven inning of work.  Serrano (6-3) picked up the loss for the Blue Wahoos going four innings allowing six runs on 10 hits.

Szczur led the Smokies’ 12-hit attack going 3-for-4 in his Smokies Park debut.

Game 2
The Smokies’ pitching stayed hot in Monday’s nightcap.  Casey Harman, making his first start of the season, battled through four scoreless innings allowing just four hits and striking out two.

Tennessee would be the first to light up the scoreboard in the fourth inning off Pensacola starter Tony Cingrani (5-3).  Nate Samson led off the inning with a single and following walks to Lake and Rohan, Samson ran home on a Cingrani wild pitch to give the Smokies a 1-0 lead.

The Smokies plated two more runs in the fifth inning.  Dustin Harrington doubled to begin the inning and advanced to third on a passed ball by catcher Mark Fleury.  Two batters later, Szczur grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Harrington, and a throwing error by shortstop Billy Hamilton allowed Szczur to advance to second.  Following a single by Samson, Szczur was able to score easily as reliever Josh Ravin was unable make a clean pickoff attempt at first to push the Smokies lead to 3-0.

Pensacola rallied in the seventh on a two-run home run by Fleury off Smokies reliever Frank Batista. But Batista was able to get the final two out and secure the Smokies win and notch his 19th save of the season.

Casey Weathers (4-1) picked up the win in relief tossing a scoreless fifth inning, walking one and striking out two.

The Smokies and Blue Wahoos play the middle contest of their five-game series on Tuesday night at 7:15 at Smokies Park.  Tennessee sends right-hander Dae-Eun Rhee (7-5, 5.09) to the mound and Pensacola will counter with righty Kyle Lotzkar (4-5, 5.32).  For tickets and more information visit http://www.smokiesbaseball.com or call (865) 286-2300.

LISTEN TO GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS: July 30, 2012 Blue Wahoos 3 Smokies 6 Game One

LISTEN TO GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS: July 30, 2012 Blue Wahoos 2 Smokies 3 Game Two

Tennessee’s Justin Bour. Photo Courtesy: Roger C. Hoover.

By Cody Chrusciel / Smokies Radio Network

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Justin Bour delivered Tennessee’s first grand slam of the season, but the Smokies were upended by the Jacksonville Suns, 8-5, on Saturday evening in the rubber match of a five-game series at The Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. The Smokies’ third straight loss, which ends a nine-game road trip, drops them to 15-20 in the second half and 50-55 overall.

Bour finished 2-for-5 with five RBIs – the most by a Tennessee batter this season. Right fielder Jake Smolinski paced the Suns’ 14-hit attack, going 3-for-3 with three doubles, three runs scored, and two RBIs.

With Nick Struck on the mound for Tennessee in search of his league-leading 12th win, the Suns jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Paul Gran’s first-inning sacrifice fly plated Smolinski, who led off with a double, to open the scoring. Jacksonville tacked on two more runs in the third thanks to a Chris Gutierrez RBI ground out and Gran’s second sacrifice fly of the contest. An Alfredo Lopez RBI single in the fourth made it 4-0.

Tennessee finally broke through against reigning Southern League Pitcher of the Week Graham Taylor in the top of the sixth when Logan Watkins singled, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI single by Bour. However, Jacksonville would retaliate with three runs in the bottom of the frame to open up a 7-1 advantage.

With the Smokies trailing by six in the top of the seventh, Bour lifted a two-out grand slam over the high right center field wall to make it a 7-5 contest.

Jacksonville tacked on an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh to close out the scoring.

Taylor (6-8) allowed just one run on five hits over six innings to earn the win. Struck (11-10) failed to go five innings for just the second time in 22 starts this season, suffering the loss after surrendering four runs on seven hits in four innings. Former Smokie James Leverton retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his first save of the year.

Following a travel day on Sunday, the Smokies return home on Monday evening, when they’ll play a doubleheader against the Southern League’s newest member, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Game one of the twin bill, which is scheduled for 5:30 p.m., will pit Tennessee southpaw Eric Jokisch (6-2, 2.89 ERA) against Pensacola right-hander Mark Serrano (6-2, 2.77 ERA). In game two, Pensacola will left-hander Tony Cingrani (5-2, 2.15 ERA) to the mound while the Smokies have yet to announce their starter.

GAME NOTES: Saturday’s game marked the final regular-season meeting between Tennessee and Jacksonville; the Suns won eight of 13 contests and all three series… Tennessee starter Nick Struck was hit in the arm by a line drive in the bottom of the fourth inning but stayed in the game… Junior Lake, who is currently riding an 11-game hitting streak, got the day off to rest a wrist injury… The Smokies went 3-6 on the nine-game road trip.

LISTEN TO GAME HIGHLIGHTS: July 28, 2012 Smokies 5 Suns 8