Brian Kice
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Knoxville Smokies took the series against the Montgomery Biscuits at DABOS Park on the backs of five late-game comeback wins during what was an unusual seven-game series. Knoxville extended their winning streak to five games heading into the middle of June and took their third straight series win.
Game 1: Biscuit Bats Outlast Smokies to Hold On in Opener
The Smokies opened the first series of the season at DABOS Park in Montgomery with a loss, as the Biscuits were able to send a pair of home runs over the fence to get to the Smokies' starting rotation – both in the same inning.
The scoring opened on a Mac Horvath solo shot (5) in the home half of the third inning. Horvath showed good ability to go gap to gap in the series, shooting the ball over the right field wall to get the Biscuits on the board.
Montgomery would tack on more in the inning thanks to two baserunners reaching before a Jadher Areinamo three-run jack (8) to make the score 4-0 in the Montgomery third inning.
Owen Ayers entered the series as the Southern League Player of the Week for his performance versus Birmingham from June 2-7, and he showed why he deserved it in this series as well. He stayed hot in the Knoxville fourth inning with a solo home run of his own (10) to get the Smokies on the board. At the end of the fourth, Montgomery led 4-1.
That score wouldn’t hold, however, as Hayden Cantrelle drove in Karson Simas on a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth. Knoxville cut the lead in half on the play, making it 4-2 Montgomery at the end of the fifth.
The Smokies responded again in their next offensive inning with a Carter Trice two-run home run (10) to tie the game at four. It wouldn’t take long before Ariel Armas joined the offense and Knoxville took the lead as Armas singled home Karson Simas once again to make the score 5-4 in the top of the seventh.
Montgomery finally responded against the Smokies bullpen in their half of the seventh, as they tied the game at five on a Xavier Isaac force out that scored the runner from third. A balk by Marino Santy forced home the go-ahead run for the Biscuits in the same half-inning. The 6-5 score would be the final on June 9.
The offense for the Smokies was backed by solid efforts from a trio of Knoxville arms, with starter Grant Kipp earning a no-decision after hurling four innings, with five hits, four earned runs allowed, and four strikeouts.
Tyler Santana pitched two scoreless innings in relief with a pair of punchouts, and Marino Santy gave up two earned runs in his two frames of work, while being tagged with an unfortunate loss after the balk that forced in the go-ahead run. Santy fell to 1-2 on the season and blew just his second save during his Knoxville tenure.
Game 2: Biscuit Bats Stay Hot to Knock Schultz from Game Early
Knoxville and Montgomery played a shortened game two of the series to fit two games in on June 10. The offense came in bunches, but unfortunately didn’t come soon enough in the first of two on this day.
In the bottom of the second, Noah Myers hit his first double of the season for Montgomery as they plated a pair of runs on the play to make it a 2-0 early lead in the second.
In the bottom of the third, the Biscuits bats came to life as they plated five thanks to a Brayden Taylor solo blast (10), Carlos Colmenarez’s first AA RBI single, a bases-loaded walk, and a fielder's choice by Jhon Diaz that scored Gregory Barrios. The score at the end of the third inning stood in favor of the Biscuits 7-0.
What seemed like a comfortable lead for the Biscuits was not enough for their liking as they scored another on a Will Simpson home run (9) to make it 8-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Biscuits would score all ten of their runs in game two by the sixth inning as Noah Myers crossed the plate, as did Diaz, thanks to a pair of walks with the bases loaded for Frankie Scalzo Jr.
The Smokies started their comeback at the top of the sixth, with Alex Ramirez scoring thanks to yet another Owen Ayers' extra-base hit and his seventh double of the year. An Andy Garriola sacrifice groundout got the second run home in the frame. The score read 10-2 Montgomery after six frames.
In the top of the seventh, Hayden Cantrelle scored Ethan Hearn on a single up the middle, Edgar Alvarez scored on a fielding error, and Owen Ayers collected his second two-bagger of the game to cut the deficit to 10-6. This would be all the offense in the game, as 16 combined runs were scored in the shortened seven-inning contest to start the night.
Connor Schultz was tagged with his second loss, falling to 0-2 with the Smokies, as he struggled, giving up seven runs and walking four. A rare Frankie Scalzo Jr. blemish and an appearance from Jackson Kirkpatrick capped the six innings tossed by the Smokies' pitching staff.
Game 3: Smokies Put Up Ten of Their Own in Good Response in Double Header
Game two of the night was another lopsided score, this time with Knoxville scoring ten of their own runs.
Montgomery once again scored first in game three, with a pair of RBI from Xavier Issac and Gregory Barrios. After the first half inning, the Biscuits led 2-0.
This time, however, the Smokies wasted no time with their offense, as Owen Ayers answered the call once again with an RBI single that scored Karson Simas once again. In a game that was a scheduled makeup from May 23, the Smokies, being the home team in game four, would prove it was a good thing.
They scored once again in the bottom of the second, as Karson Simas inserted his name on the score sheet again with a single that scored Ariel Armas and Cameron Sisneros. The Smokies took the lead, 3-2, but wouldn’t be able to hold it for long.
Montgomery would plate three of their own thanks to a single from Barrios and Daniel Vellojin’s first homer of the campaign, which came as a two-run homer. The Biscuits would lead going into the bottom of the third by a score of 5-3.
The Biscuits wouldn’t hold the lead, and wouldn’t for the rest of the contest, as Edgar Alvarez sent a two-run bomb (7) over the right field fence to tie the game. Sisneros would then plate Armas to give the Smokies a lead at 6-5. They wouldn’t stop there, as Simas came up again and popped a sac fly that would score Sisneros. By the end of the frame, the Smokies carried a lead at 7-5.
In the top of the fourth, Isaac hit a sac fly that would draw the Biscuits within one at 7-6, but that's all they could get in their half.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Smokies added on. Cantrelle scored thanks to an Isaac fielding error at first, and Owen Ayers blasted a home run inside the foul pole (11) for a two-run home run to cement his case for back-to-back Player of the Week honors. The score stood 10-6 after six.
Montgomery scored two more in the top of the seventh to try and mount a comeback; however, the Smokies held on to take their first game of the series 10-8.
The pitching was rock solid in game three, with Yennri Rojas going two innings as the opener, and Erian Rodriguez relieving him for two and a third innings. Rodriguez earned his first win of the season, improving to 1-0 after striking out three. Vince Reilly showed why he is one of the top bullpen arms in the Southern League, notching his sixth save in an eight-out save, where he matched Rodriguez in the strikeout category, with three Ks of his own.
Game 4: Smokies Bash Biscuits in Game Four Onslaught
The Smokies rode their offensive momentum from June 10 into game four. As if 16 runs across 14 innings wasn’t enough, the Smokies would put up 14 runs in game four.
The scoring opened with none other than Owen Ayers, who singled once again to score Karson Simas, who had been enjoying his time in the leadoff spot until this point in the series. The Smokies led 1-0 in the first inning.
They would start their insurance for the night in the third, with Cantrelle manufacturing a run with his legs, stealing second, but scoring as a result of errant throws by the catcher and center fielder on the play. With the defensive blunder, the Smokies took a 2-0 lead.
The Biscuits got one back in the third as Diaz showed off his power on his fourth homer of the season. Will Simpson shot a three-run homer (11) to put the Smokies back on their heels in their half to make it 4-2 Montgomery.
Cameron Sisneros, who was hitting well in the series, had an RBI in the top of the fourth to make it 4-3 Biscuits.
The Smokies have scored the majority of their runs in June late in games, and game four was no different. They tied the game thanks to a Cantrelle sacrifice groundout, then started to pull away as Jefferson Rojas plated two on a single, and Carter Trice used a defensive miscue in right by Diaz to score two and move up to second. The Smokies suddenly led 8-4 heading into inning number seven.
Knoxville wasn’t close to being done, however, as the top of the seventh saw more offense. Cantrelle singled yet again to score two, and Jefferson Rojas sent another ball to a struggling Diaz in right, who misplayed the baseball, resulting in three runs on the play for Knoxville. After back-to-back innings with big offense, the Smokies saw themselves up big at 13-4.
Alex Ramirez added on in the eighth for the Smokies, as he launched his second homer of the series and the fifth of the season to extend the lead to 14-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, Montgomery added one on a Diaz two-bagger to make it 14-5.
Dawson Netz threw three and a third with three strikeouts to start things on the mound for the Smokies before handing the ball to the ever-reliable Tyler Ras, who was outstanding. He earned his fifth win to improve to 5-0 after striking out four and keeping Montgomery scoreless. Evan Taylor made an appearance as well, with a trio of Ks of his own, capping off a ten-strikeout performance for the Smokies in game four.
Game 5: Nine Was the Magic Number for Knoxville in Game Five of Seven
With the series tied, Knoxville never turned back, scoring another nine runs in game five to back some dazzling starting pitching.
This game started on the mound, with Jace Beck nearly matching his best performance of the season. While tying a season high seven strikeouts, Beck threw four innings, with just two Montgomery hits, and two walks surrendered. While he exited with a no-decision, it set the Smokies up for success in the batter's box.
In the top of the fourth, Andy Garriola backed Beck’s strong outing, as he clobbered his team-leading twelfth homer of the season to make the score 1-0.
In the top of the sixth, Owen Ayers doubled once again, for his ninth double of the year, allowing Cantrelle to cruise home all the way from first. The scoreboard read 2-0 in favor of Knoxville.
The bottom of the inning marked the first offense of the night for the Biscuits, as Will Simpson continued his nice series with an RBI double. Barrios had a double of his own, scoring Simpson to tie the game at 2-2 suddenly. After six, the score was knotted.
In the seventh, however, Alex Ramirez sent a big fly over the wall in center for his second in as many days to give the Smokies the lead right back at 4-2.
In the eighth, Trice singled in Rojas to make the score 5-2, as Trice continued to rack up the RBI totals at DABOS Park. Ramirez wasn’t done mashing in this game, however, as he launched his second homer (7) of the game to make it 8-2 Knoxville in a heartbeat.
Ryan Spikes plated a run in the Biscuits’ half of the eighth to make it an 8-3 game in the bottom of the eighth, but the Smokies responded in the ninth with a Jefferson Rojas single to make it 9-3, where the final score would settle.
The 9-3 score was in large part due to the pitching as well, as three more bullpen arms combined to back Beck in this one. Nick Dean, Marino Santy, and Tyler Santana all threw in relief, with Santy earning his second win of the year. In total, 13 Biscuits were victims of the strikeout, and the Smokies' pitching looks poised to take the series in Montgomery in game six.
Game 6: Smokies Score Double Digits Once Again in Offensive-Heavy Game Six
As if 44 combined runs through five games of the series weren’t enough, the Smokies carried their flaming hot bats into game six on Saturday.
Montgomery scored first again in game six, as Kenny Piper lined a single into right. Kameron James and Mac Horvath also singled to make the score 3-0 Biscuits in the bottom of the second.
Despite Montgomery scoring first in the game yet again, they could not hold it, as the Cubs’ number one prospect flexed his power on his tenth shot of the year. Going to the deepest part of the gap. The scoring didn't stop there, as Ramirez yet again made hard contact, this time with his 13th double of the year. A wild pitch allowed Garriola to take an extra 90 feet and the fifth run of the game. Sisneros was red hot as well, as he hit a sac fly to double the Montgomery run total. After three, the score was 6-3 Smokies.
The next scoring would yet again wait until the later stages, as the Smokies got to the bullpen again and scored their seventh run on a Sisneros single to make it 7-3.
In the eighth inning, Will Simpson said goodbye with a solo home run, his twelfth of the year. Montgomery gained one back. Arreinamo reached on an error that allowed another run to score in the inning. After eight full innings, the scoreboard read in favor of Knoxville still, 7-5.
In the top of the ninth, the Smokies got more. Garriola doubled home Rojas, Trice singled in Ayers, and Ramirez singled home Garriola. The Smokies favored station-to-station baseball in the frame, with a wild pitch, and another single, this time from Cantrelle to plate runs 11 and 12 in the game for the Cubs affiliate.
The Knoxville bullpen showed out for another game, with three more arms backing a brief start from Tyler Schlaffer. Schlaffer notched three strikeouts, Scalzo Jr. earned the win in relief (1-0), but the story was Jackson Kirkpatrick, who faced six batters and fanned them all. Vince Riley added two more strikeouts in two full frames as well.
In total, 12 runners crossed the plate, and twelve Biscuits bats went stale in game six of the series.
Game 7: Smokies Put the Bow on the Biscuits with Hard-Fought Battle in the Series Finale
The Smokies looked to climb atop the standings in the Southern League North with a win on Sunday, and did just that thanks to a wonderful performance on the mound from Brooks Caple.
The righty headlined the action with five full innings, inducing plenty of contact, but keeping the Montgomery bats at bay. He finished with just one strikeout and gave up three runs before handing the ball to the bullpen, who had shown their dominance in the Southern League during the series.
The Knoxville hitters knew the stakes as well, as they finished with double-digit hits. The Biscuits took the lead early in the game this time as well, plating a run on an error by Caple. A sacrifice groundout allowed another run to score, and a single from Areinamo made the score 3-0 after three.
The Smokies responded in the next half, with Trice hitting a sac fly. The score would hold at 3-1 in favor of Montgomery until the seventh, when Garriola grounded out, but it came with an RBI, making it 3-2 Montgomery.
In the eighth, Sisneros picked a great time for his first homer of the season, as he tied the game at 3-3.
Andy Garriola was in the middle of the action all series long, and added to that in the ninth, plating a run on a sac fly that would end up being that dagger. The Smokies would hold off the Biscuits by a final score of 4-3 in the finale of the series.
Wrap Up
As a result of back-to-back series wins to start the month of June, the Smokies have climbed to the top of the Southern League North standings with just six games left to play. After their win Sunday night, they surpassed the Chattanooga Lookouts for first place. As they turn around and head east, they will welcome those very same Lookouts in a pivotal series to decide who earns a playoff spot and wraps up the first half.
Andy Garriola and Owen Ayers stay scorching hot, and the Smokies look to ride a 60-run offensive series into the homestand at Covenant Health Park.
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