The midsummer air wasn't the only thing heated at AT&T Field during the Business Man's Special baseball game Tuesday.
Chattanooga's Heiker Meneses makes contact at the plate as the Lookouts host the Montgomery Biscuits on Tuesday, July 21, 2015, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Meneses singled in the third inning to tie the game, but the Lookouts lost 8-4 in 10 innings. With temperatures for the 11:15 morning start already eclipsing 85 degrees and the heat index inching toward triple digits, tempers were short and, at least for the Chattanooga Lookouts, hits were hard to come by. Visiting Montgomery scored four early runs, suffered a pair of ejections amid a myriad of walks and eventually won 8-4 in 10 innings.
The Biscuits (14-10 in the second half) managed 12 hits against five Chattanooga pitchers, including five in the 10th inning against D.J. Johnson to break open the three-and-a-half-hour game. It was the early going, however, that piqued the 2,212 fans' interest.
After his team took a 2-0 lead in the first on a Patrick Leonard single, Montgomery manager Brady Williams was ejected for arguing balls and strikes following a pair of walks by pitcher Jaime Schultz. The lead was 4-0 in the bottom of the second when Schultz was sent to the showers as well.
Travis Harrison, Marcus Knecht and Stuart Turner walked to start the inning and Heiker Meneses was hit by a pitch to bring in a run. Schultz regrouped to strike out the next two batters but completely lost his poise after walking Max Kepler and Kennys Vargas to bring the Lookouts (8-15) within one without a hit.
They would tie the game in the third when Meneses delivered a two-out RBI single - the team's first hit and one of only four in the game. Biscuits relievers Mark Sappington, Ryan Garton and Brad Schreiber allowed just the one run and struck out 11 in 8 1/3 innings.
Jake DePew's bases-loaded walk proved to be the winning run in the 10th against Johnson, who also gave up a two-run double to Leonardo Reginatto and an RBI single to Dayton Verano, who had three hits and two RBIs. Goedell, Reginatto and Leonard each had two hits.
The Lookouts who will trot out pitcher Brett Lee (0-4) against Montgomery's Pierce Johnson (4-0) in tonight's rubber game of the series.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.