Chattanooga Lookouts logoA recording of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" was accidentally pressed instead of the national anthem Thursday night at Joe Davis Stadium, and it didn't get much better from there for the Huntsville Stars.
Chattanooga scored three runs in the first two innings and Andres Santiago had another quality start Thursday night as the Lookouts held off Huntsville 4-3 in the opening game of the Southern League's North Division playoff series. Santiago allowed two runs in six innings in his first start since last week's no-hitter at AT&T Field.
Game two of the best-of-five series will be tonight in Huntsville, with Steve Smith scheduled to start on the mound for the Lookouts and Austin Ross for the Stars.
The Lookouts struck in the first inning when Daniel Mayora's two-out double to center field scored Angel Sanchez. Chris O'Brien homered to right to open the second inning for Chattanooga, and O'Koyea Dickson followed with a homer to center.
Huntsville pulled within 3-1 in the third inning on Nick Shaw's two-out single to left that scored Yadiel Rivera, but the Lookouts extended their lead to 4-1 in the fifth when Santiago opened with a double to left and scored on a Sanchez sacrifice bunt.
Hector Gimenez homered to center in the sixth inning to get the Stars within 4-2, and Orlando Arcia doubled to right and scored in the eighth to make it 4-3. The Stars went down in order in the ninth, however, as Jhan Marinez and Daniel Coulombe pitched for the Lookouts.