Blue Wahoos pitchers dominate Chattanooga Lookouts

Friday, January 1, 1904

photo Pensacola's Ryan LaMarre dives safely back to first base out of reach of Lookouts first baseman J. T. Wise Friday at AT&T Field.

Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitcher Tony Cingrani took the mound against the Chattanooga Lookouts on Friday afternoon with an earned run average of 1.50. It was even lower after the first game of the doubleheader at AT&T Field.

Cingrani pitched a complete game - both games were shortened to seven innings after Thursday's rainout - in the Blue Wahoos' 2-1 win. The left-hander allowed four hits, with two walks and two strikeouts, and didn't give up an earned run while raising his record to 5-1.

"He was hiding the ball well from us and getting ahead with his fastball," said Lookouts first baseman J.T. Wise, who went 0-for-3 against Cingrani. "He was working in and out on us, and his off-speed pitches were working."

In the second game of the evening, Pensacola (14-8) took the three-game series with a 6-1 win behind Mark Serrano (6-1) and three relievers.

Pensacola speedster Billy Hamilton kicked the doubleheader off with a bang, singling to open the first game and then stealing second and third. Hamilton added a steal in the second game to push his season total to 108 in 84 minor league games.

The Blue Wahoos took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning of game one. Tucker Barnhart, who had two hits, drove in both runs with a triple up the first-base line off Lookouts reliever Javier Solano. Solano came in with one on and one out after starter Aaron Miller had to leave the game due to illness.

Chattanooga (12-10) got a run back in the bottom of the fourth when C.J. Retherford led off with a double, took third on a fielder's choice and scored on a passed ball. Retherford was called up Wednesday, and the hit was his first for the Lookouts.

In the series finale, after an easy top of the first for Lookouts pitcher Chris Reed, Rafael Ynoa led off the bottom half with a single to right. He casually rounded first and was thrown out by right fielder Josh Fellhauer.

Center field Nick Buss then put the Lookouts up 1-0 with a home run to right-center field. Reed's struggles in the third led to a big inning for the Blue Wahoos, who took a 5-1 lead and stayed in control the rest of the way. Bill Rhinehart had a two-run ground-rule double and Bryson Smith added a three-run triple.

The Lookouts left town after the game for a four-game series, starting tonight, with the Mississippi Braves.