Jae-Hoon Ha and Rebel Ridling were the heroes of Wednesday night's game as the Tennessee Smokies won over the Chattanooga Lookouts 8-3. Both led a 14-hit attack for the Smokies in front of 2,801 fans. This puts the Smokies at 34-25 on the season's second half. They stand 77-52 overall, narrowing the first-place fight with the Lookouts (35-23, 70-58) to 1.5 games.
Tennessee seized an early lead; Jim Adducci, Ha, and Blake Lalli singled to load the bases with no out in the first. Ridling sent Adduci home with a sac fly to the left field. Ha was brought in by a RBI groundout by Josh Vitters, making it 2-0.
Nate Sampson and Jonathan Mota made the lead 3-0 when Mota brought Samson home with a groundout to short in the second.
Chattanooga scored a single run in the top of the third. The Smokies responded by making single runs in their next three innings. Mota lit up the board with a homerun in the fourth.
Chattanooga picked up steam in the sixth with a pair of runs off Tennessee starter Trey McNutt (4-5.) McNutt ceded to Kevin Rhoderick. In six innings he allowed three runs on nine hits and striking out two.
Clevenger made the last score for the Smokies with a two-run shot in the seventh putting Tennessee up 8-3.
Rhoderick proved to be a successful relief, allowing no hits over two scoreless innings in the seventh and the eighth. His relief was Rafael Dolis retired the side in order, making his scoreless inning streak to 18.2 innings.
Will Savage (12-5) picked up the loss for the Lookouts, allowing six runs (five earned) on 12 hits in five innings.
The rubber match of the five-game series with the Smokies and Lookouts will be Thursday night at 7:15 at Smokies Park.