Smith blast gives Lookouts win in 10th

As an 11-year veteran of the minor leagues, Chattanooga Lookouts third baseman Corey Smith believes his job is to help the team whenever and however he can.

Thursday night, that meant providing the game-winner.

Smith's home run to left-center with one out in the 10th inning catapulted the Lookouts to a 6-5 victory over Montgomery before an announced crowd of 4,479 at AT&T Field. The win clinched Chattanooga's first series of the young season and continued a healthy pace at the plate, as the Lookouts have tallied 46 runs in their last seven games.

"This team isn't going to quit," Smith said. "It's a young team, but there is a lot of heart. As we continue to battle, we're going to put ourselves in position to win in the end."

Thursday marked the first extra-inning game this season for the Lookouts, who improved to 6-8. The Biscuits fell to 7-7.

Smith was a first-round pick of the Cleveland Indians in 2000 and advanced to Triple-A Buffalo in 2004, where he played only five games. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in February and was hitting just .217 entering Thursday's game, but he went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Biscuits relief pitcher Paul Phillips threw Smith a slider in the 10th, and Smith left no doubt.

"That was an incredible hit right there," Lookouts left fielder Andrew Lambo said.

Said Smith: "Yeah, I knew I got that one."

The Lookouts tallied 11 hits, with Lambo continuing his early-season surge by going 3-for-5 with two RBIs. His double to left-center in the fifth inning scored Elian Herrera and Trayvon Robinson to give the Lookouts a 4-3 lead.

Lambo, the No. 7 organizational prospect who held the top spot last season, increased his average to .377.

"It's going good, and I'm seeing the ball well," he said. "I'd like for it to continue."

Lookouts shortstop Dee Gordon, the current No. 1 organizational prospect, collected his first home run of the season with a shot over the Budweiser Pavilion to open the seventh inning. That tied the game at 5-5 after the Biscuits had scored twice in the top of the seventh.

Jesus Castillo (0-1, 2.61 ERA) is scheduled to start tonight's 7:15 series finale for the Lookouts, with Jeremy Hall (0-0, 3.27) scheduled for the Biscuits.

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