Trash Pandas Win Again, Outlast Lookouts 12-10

Behind a dominant night at the plate from Orlando Martinez and heroics in extra innings, the Rocket City Trash Pandas earned their second straight win, 12-10 over the Chattanooga Lookouts on Friday night at AT&T Field.

With the score tied 10-10 beginning the 10th inning, former Lookout Mitch Nay launched a towering two-run blast down the left field line to give Rocket City a 12-10 lead. In the bottom of the frame, Adrian Almeida returned to the mound for his second inning of relief and retired the Lookouts in order to finish the win.

The game began in similar fashion for the visitors.

Rocket City struck early against Chattanooga starter Randy Wynne. David MacKinnon led off the game with a double and Michael Stefanic singled to right to score MacKinnon with the game’s first run. Martinez followed with a long home run to right-center to make it 3-0 after the Trash Pandas’ first turn at the plate.

Chattanooga responded with a run in the bottom of the first and two in the second to even the score against Rocket City starter Travis Herrin.

The Trash Pandas retook the lead in the third as Martinez crushed his second home run of the night, a solo blast to right-center. Later in the frame, Ibandel Isabel lined a two-out single to left. Izzy Wilson then crushed a two-run home run, his first of the season, down the right field to double the score at 6-3 Rocket City.

In the fourth, Martinez drove in another run with a double to center. In the bottom of the frame, Mark Kolozsvary homered to get the run back and cut the Trash Pandas’ lead back to three runs.

Over 4.0 innings, Herrin gave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts. He did not factor in the final decision.

Spencer Griffin drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh to add another run. In the eighth, Martinez launched again with a two-run homer down the right field line, his third of the game, to give the Trash Pandas a 10-5 lead.

But the Lookouts rallied to tie the game with five runs in the bottom of the eighth against Rocket City reliever Oliver Ortega. Almeida came in and kept the game tied after eight and recorded a strikeout of Narciso Crook with the bases loaded to send the game to extra innings and set the stage for the 10th inning triumph.

Martinez finished 4-for-6 with a career-high three home runs and six RBI while Stefanic added three hits and three other Rocket City hitters recorded multi-hit games.

Rocket City (2-2) and Chattanooga (2-2) continue their series on Saturday night at AT&T Field with first pitch scheduled for 6:15 p.m. CT. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.