The Chattanooga Lookouts' front office is packing this weekend with reasons beyond baseball to come out to AT&T Field. The team made sure the home fans had something to like about what happened on the diamond as well Friday night.
Nick Gordon and T.J. White homered as the Lookouts beat the Jackson Generals 3-1 in the opener of a five-game series.
White's homer to left field led off the bottom of the second inning - he finished the night 2-for-2 with two walks - and Gordon made it 2-0 when he connected off Jackson starter Ryan Atkinson with one out in the third.
The Lookouts added their final run in the eighth. Andy Wilkins led off with a single, and White doubled to push him to third base. With one out, Carlos Paulino flew out to right and White was caught trying to reach third - but not before Wilkins came home.
Jackson's Michael Perez homered to right with one out in the ninth, but Gabriel Moya then got a strikeout and flyout for the save. Lookouts starter Stephen Gonsalves (8-3) struck out four, gave up four hits and two walks and hit a batter as he lowered his ERA to 2.68.
It was both Pirates and Princesses Night and Strike Out Epilepsy Night at the park, and it started with ceremonial first pitches from NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Austin Cindric and former Atlanta Braves outfielder David Justice. It ended with the Lookouts celebrating their 73rd victory this season and fireworks.
The second matchup of the series is tonight at 7:15, with Jackson's probable starting pitcher Ivan Pineyro (8-0, 3.06). The Lookouts have not announced their starter, but they have announced that they'll be giving away 11 cars during the game as part of their long-running and popular Used Car Night promotion.