Trash Pandas Fall To Lookouts In Finale 5-3

The Rocket City Trash Pandas came back late to force extra innings, but ultimately came up short in a 5-3 loss to the Chattanooga Lookouts in front of a boisterous crowd of 6,041 at Toyota Field on Sunday night.

The game began like it ended for the visiting Lookouts, plating a pair of runs in both the first and tenth innings. The visitors wasted no time in scoring first against Trash Pandas starter Victor Mederos. Noelvi Marte began the game with a single. Quincy McAfee followed by lining a two-run homer into the Chattanooga bullpen in left, giving the visitors the lead two batters into the game.

Rocket City responded in the bottom half against Lookouts starter Joe Boyle. Edgar Quero reached with a one-out walk. Two hitters later, Orlando Martinez laced a double into the gap in left-center, allowing Quero to come all the way home to get the Trash Pandas within a run.

From there, Mederos and Boyle traded zeroes throughout the middle innings. Mederos did not allow a hit between the second and fifth innings, with the only runner reaching on a throwing error by Kyren Paris in the second. Boyle worked around runners in both the second and fifth to hold the lead for Chattanooga.

The Lookouts started the sixth with back-to-back singles from Marte and McAfee. Mederos looked to get through the jam with a double play ground out from Alex McGarry, which moved Marte to third. That would be Mederos’ final pitch. Dakota Donovan entered and immediately gave up a single to Rece Hinds, plating Marte for a 3-1 Lookouts lead.

Mederos finished with three runs against on four this, striking out six in a no-decision.

Rocket City loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth, prompting the Lookouts to bring in Andy Fisher in relief of Boyle. He induced a double play from Jeremiah Jackson, allowing Quero to score but keeping the Lookouts in front 3-2. Fisher held the lead by getting Tucker Flint to ground out, ending the inning.

Donovan struck out the side in the seventh. Kelvin Caceres was next into the game for the Trash Pandas and navigated into and out of danger in the eighth, walking the bases loaded and striking out three to preserve the 3-2 score.

In the bottom of the eighth, David Calabrese led off with a double to put the tying run in scoring position. Two hitters later, Paris crushed a double off the wall in right to tie the game and send the crowd at Toyota Field into a frenzy.

Zac Kristofak kept the game tied with a scoreless ninth. However, the Trash Pandas couldn’t score against Lookouts reliever Tommy Eveld (W, 2-0) in the bottom half, sending the game to extra innings.

In the tenth, Marte lined new reliever Luke Murphy’s (L, 0-2) first pitch into left-center for an RBI double, scoring automatic runner Eric Yang. A passed ball from Quero later allowed Marte to score, giving the Lookouts a 5-3 lead.

The Trash Pandas got the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the inning as David Calabrese walked to put runners on the corners with one out. Lookouts closer Ryan Meisinger (S, 3) ended the game with strikeouts of Quero and Paris to earn the save.

Offensively, Rocket City was held to five hits, with no player recording more than one hit. Quero scored two of the Trash Pandas’ three runs, while the team went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the loss.

The Trash Pandas (21-24) hit the road to begin a six-game series with the Montgomery Biscuits on Tuesday night. First pitch at Riverwalk Stadium is set for 6:35 p.m. Josh Caray will be on the call for 103.9 FM THE UMP and 730 AM SportsRadio.