MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com-SEVIERVILLE, Tenn.– Needing a win in the worst way Saturday night, the Tennessee Smokies came through in the clutch to take down the Chattanooga Lookouts at Smokies Park, 5-2. The win, in front of 4,753 at Smokies Park, ended the team’s 12-game losing streak and improved the Smokies’ record to 22-34 on the year.

Starting pitching once again kept the Smokies in Friday night’s series opener. Tennessee righty Marcos Mateo kept the Smokies in the game with six solid innings, allowing four hits and four walks in 92 pitches. Josh Bell’s mammoth two-run shot to right in the top of the fifth would put the Lookouts up 2-0 and be the only real blemish on the night for Mateo.

Tennessee’s rally would begin to take shape in the sixth. Jim Adduci led off the bottom of the sixth with a double to deep center over the head of Lookouts CF Adam Godwin. Chattanooga 1B then misplayed a Ty Wright grounder that put runners on first and third. Blake Lalli followed with a single to right to bring home Adduci and cut the Lookouts’ lead to 2-1. Tennessee would look to add more in the frame, but Chick would strike out Marquez Smith and Mark Reed to end the inning.
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Heads-up base running by Darwin Barney in the seventh pulled the Smokies even at two. On first base with one out, Barney would tag from first on a deep fly to center by teammate Brandon Guyer. The move paid off as the next hitter, Adduci, singled to center to bring home Barney.

The Smokies would open the game up in the eighth. With one out and runners on first and second, pinch-hitter Tyler Colvin blooped a single off Lookouts reliever Tim Corcoran (2-5) to center to bring home Tony Thomas from second, giving Tennessee their first lead of the game. Barney would follow with a two-run double that would hug the first base line, but drop fair, and put the Smokies up 5-2.

Jayson Ruhlman’s (2-0) scoreless seventh and eighth innings gave him the win, with reliever John Gaub (S, 2) picking up the save.

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