SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Smokies kicked off the Fourth of July weekend with a blast closing out a six-game homestand with the Huntsville Stars. Bringing in an all-time, record-high crowd of 7,655 at Smokies Park since it’s inaugural game in 2000, the Smokies beat the Stars 5-3. Fireworks were on and off the field, as manager Ryne Sandberg earned his second ejection of this week’s series.

The Smokies brought the record crowd to their feet in the first inning as OF Tyler Colvin came around from second on a Marquez Smith single to right, giving the Smokies an early 1-0 lead. Tennessee struck for two more runs in the bottom of the fourth off Huntsville starter Nick Green (0-1). Smith scored his second run of the game on Blake Lalli’s RBI-single to center, making it 2-1 Tennessee. Lalli, having moved to third on the play thanks to an errant throw by Stars CF Freddy Parejo, would score from third on Green’s wild pitch to Jim Adduci, giving the Smokies a 3-1 lead.

As the Smokies began to build this lead, starter Marcos Mateo made sure the Stars were kept in check. He retired the side in four of the six innings he threw, allowing only the one run in the second and a Shane Justis double in the third. In his 89-pitch outing, Mateo (2-5) struck out five and walked only one.

Marco Carrillo, and his 0.41 ERA heading into Friday’s game, entered the game in the top of the seventh. He lowered the ERA to 0.39 with a scoreless two-inning, two-strikeout performance. Teammate Russ Canzler complemented Carrillo’s effort on the mound with a two-run bloop single in the eighth, increasing Tennessee’s lead to 5-1.

Little did Canzler and the Smokies know those two runs would prove huge, as in the ninth Huntsville closed Tennessee’s lead to 5-3. Tennessee reliever Brian Schlitter gave up four walks in the frame, one of which allowed a run, before being replaced by Jayson Ruhlman. During the pitching change, Sandberg had some choice words for HP umpire Chris Ward and was immediately ejected. Sandberg proceeded to have it out with Ward before being restrained by Smokies hitting coach Tom Beyers.

After walking in a second Huntsville run in the inning, Ruhlman (S, 1) got Huntsville’s Adam Stern to ground out with the tying run at second to end the game.

Tennessee heads to Carolina on Saturday to kick off a four-game series against the Carolina Mudcats. The Smokies will return home next Wednesday, July 11, to face the Montgomery Biscuits. Tickets can be purchased at www.smokiesbaseball.com, by calling (865) 286-2300 or at the stadium ticket office.

Story courtesy: smokiesbaseball.com