Trash Pandas Rally Comes Up Short In 8-7 Loss

Despite a dramatic, game-tying home run while down to their last out in the ninth inning, the Rocket City Trash Pandas ultimately suffered an 8-7 loss in walk-off fashion to the Tennessee Smokies in the opener of a six-game series on Tuesday night at Smokies Stadium.

Down 7-5 in the ninth, the Rocket City went to work against Smokies closer Cayne Ueckert (W, 4-3). David Calabrese reached on a one-out single. A fielder’s choice from Mariano Ricciardi was the second out of the inning. With the Trash Pandas down to their last out, Tucker Flint connected on a towering two-run home run to right that nearly left Smokies Stadium completely, hitting the back fence beyond the berm in right to tie the game 7-7.

But in the bottom of the ninth, the Smokies quickly walked off against Trash Pandas reliever Luke Murphy (L, 3-3). Haydn McGeary began the inning with a walk and was replaced by a pinch-runner. A single from Matt Shaw put men on first and second. Pablo Aliendo delivered the decisive blow with a deep fly ball over Calabrese’s head in left for a walk-off single, giving the Smokies the win and the second half North Division title.

Following a rain delay of an hour and a half, the Smokies opened the scoring in the bottom of the first against Rocket City starter Cole Percival on an RBI single from Shaw.

Rocket City came right back to even the score against Tennessee righty Frankie Scalzo Jr. Sonny DiChiara began the second with a broken-bat single to right. Tyler Payne followed with a double off the wall in center, moving DiChiara to third. On his 21^st birthday, Arol Vera drove in the tying run with an RBI ground out to shortstop. An inning later, Rocket City jumped ahead for the first time on an RBI single by Flint to plate Mac McCroskey, who began the inning with a walk.

In the bottom of the frame, the Smokies jumped back in front on a three-run homer by McGeary, his 16^th of the season and seventh against the Trash Pandas, to make it 4-2.

Two innings later, Rocket City again climbed back into the game, this time against Smokies reliever Blake Whitney. Ricciardi began the rally with a single and Flint walked to put two on with one out. Tennessee turned to new reliever Hunter Bigge to replace Whitney. A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third. Former Tennessee catcher Tyler Payne tied the game for the Trash Pandas with a sharp two-run single to right, bringing it back even at 4-4.

Tennessee loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth with one out. Trash Pandas reliever Houston Harding got a key strikeout for the second out. However, Jordan Nwogu reached on a check-swing infield single, scoring McGeary from third to put the Smokies back in front 5-4. Percival pitched 4.1 innings, allowing five earned runs on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts in a no-decision.

BJ Murray provided the Smokies with key insurance runs in the sixth on a two-run homer to center off Harding, his 16^th of the season to give the Smokies their biggest lead of the night at 7-4.

Bigge and Harding matched each other with zeroes in the seventh. Payne got the Trash Pandas started in the eighth with his second double of the night. Gabe Matthews got the visitors a run closer with an RBI single before Porter Hodge ended the inning with a 7-5 lead. That would set the stage for the ninth inning dramatics.

Harding tossed 3.2 innings of relief, allowing two runs on three this with two walks and two strikeouts. At the plate, Payne paced the Rocket City attack, going 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, a run scored, and two RBI. Flint drove in three in a 2-for-4 night while Ricciardi scored a pair of runs.

The Trash Pandas (57-76, 26-38 second half) continue the series against the Smokies (71-61, 35-29 second half) on Wednesday night. First pitch at Smokies Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.