David Hurlbut gave up just one run over seven innings, and his Lookouts teammates broke a 1-1 tie with a run in the sixth as Chattanooga improved to 28-30 for the Southern League baseball season Tuesday night.
Hurlbut scattered six hits, striking out five and walking one, and improved to 4-3 with a 6-1 victory over the Jacksonville Suns.
The Lookouts broke the tie on back-to-back singles from Travis Harrison and Daniel Palka and a run-scoring single to right field from D.J. Hicks. After Stuart Turner walked, Palka scored on a wild pitch by Suns starting pitcher Austin Bice.
Chatttanooga then broke the game open with a three-run eighth at the expense of Red Bank High School graduate Hunter Adkins. Palka opened with a triple and Mitch Garver singled him home. Hicks doubled to right and Garver advanced to third. Turner then walked to load the bases before Engelb Vielma singled to left and Zach Granite drew a bases-loaded walk.
Hicks led the Lookouts’ 11-hit outbreak with a 3-for-4 night, while Palka, Garver and Vielma each finished 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Omar Bencomo pitched the eighth and ninth and picked up his second save. In closing out the Suns (26-32), Bencomo struck out four.
Jacksonville’s run came on back-to-back doubles from Chris Curley and James Roberts in the fifth inning.
Game 4 of the series is scheduled to start at 7:15 tonight, and it’s Classic Car Night featuring autos from the Coker Tire collection.