Lookouts rally for win in storm-shortened game

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

photo Staff photo by Jake Daniels/Chattanooga Times Free Press Lookouts player Corey Smith, No. 15, takes a swing at the ball.

The Chattanooga Lookouts defeated the Tennessee Smokies 6-5 Monday night at AT&T Field in a game that was called for lightning and rain after the top of the sixth inning.

Chattanooga trailed 5-4 entering the fourth inning but tied the game when Corey Smith's one-out double to right-center field scored Elian Herrera, who had drawn a leadoff walk. Smith reached third on a Kyle Russell groundout and came toward home plate after a Hung-Wen Chen pitch bounced in the dirt and rolled away from catcher Steve Clevenger.

Clevenger quickly tracked down the ball and threw up the line to Josh Vitters, so the 230-pound Smith broke for home. Vitters then threw high to Clevenger, allowing Smith to bowl in with the deciding run in what was ruled as a wild pitch.

The Lookouts improved to 2-3 after an opening series in which they allowed a whopping 60 hits.

Tennessee grabbed its 5-4 advantage earlier in the fourth on a Vitters two-run home run to left followed by a Clevenger homer to right. The Smokies wasted no time in taking an early lead for a fifth consecutive occasion, opening the game with Brett Jackson's double to left-center and Ryan Flaherty's homer to center.

The Lookouts could not capitalize with runners in scoring position in the first and second innings but hit for the cycle in the third to take a 4-2 lead.

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After Smith reached on a one-out error, Russell had an infield hit and Baez hit an RBI double to right. Alfredo Silverio, who had two triples in Sunday's loss, then homered to left-center to put the Lookouts up 4-2.

Ivan Ochoa hit a two-out triple into the right-field corner but was left stranded.

Rubby De La Rosa, who missed the opening series to attend funeral services for his grandmother in the Dominican Republic, is scheduled to start Wednesday night's series opener in Birmingham opposite Dylan Axelrod of the Barons. De La Rosa is the No. 3 organizational prospect according to Baseball America and the top prospect among the Lookouts.

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.