Justin Turner’s sacrifice fly to right-center field in the bottom of the eighth inning scored Eric Eymann and was the difference Saturday night in Chattanooga’s 4-3 victory over the Carolina Mudcats.

Reliever Carlos Fisher worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning as the Lookouts won for a second straight time.

The Mudcats took a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth on Chris Coghlan’s two-out double down the right-field line that scored John Raynor from first. The Lookouts tied the game when Shaun Cumberland singled to left-center and scored on Eymann’s single to left that included an error by rehabbing Florida Marlins left fielder Josh Willingham.

Willingham, recovering from a herniated disk, tried to lean in to catch Eymann’s liner but came up short. The ball rolled to the wall, allowing Eymann to reach third and set up Turner’s winning RBI.

Saturday’s game was played before an announced crowd of 4,093, leaving the Lookouts still awaiting their first sellout of the season. This is the first year in which AT&T Field didn’t host a first-half sellout in the park’s nine-year history, yet overall attendance numbers are healthy.

The Lookouts entered Saturday averaging 3,611 fans per game and are on pace for their best year since 2004, when they averaged 3,656 a contest at the facility known then as BellSouth Park.

“We’re in great shape, and we’re very happy,” Lookouts owner Frank Burke said. “I think a little bit of the increase has been because of the weather, and I think a little bit is the economy, because more people are staying home and aren’t going away. Our Most Improved Student nights have been executed well, and we’ve just been working hard at it.

“We also haven’t raised our ticket prices in nine seasons, and I think that helps.”

Chattanooga’s attendance ranks fourth among Southern League teams, trailing Jacksonville (5,762), Montgomery (4,569) and Birmingham (4,561).

Starting pitchers Ben Jukich and Willie Glen dominated the early going Saturday until Glen, making only his third start since coming off the disabled list, weakened in the fifth inning. Glen allowed four consecutive one-out walks to give the Lookouts a 1-0 lead, and Cumberland made it 2-0 with a sacrifice to right.

Jukich had it rolling until the seventh, when he was greeted by a Willingham single to left-center and a Gaby Sanchez homer to left that tied the game 2-2.

Sam LeCure (5-4, 4.04 ERA) is scheduled to start today’s 2:15 series finale for the Lookouts, with Brett Sinkbeil (3-6, 5.47) scheduled for the Mudcats.

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