Any notion of a second-half slump has become an afterthought for the Smokies recently, as they have caught fire in the month of August.  They continued their winning ways this past week, sweeping a five-game set in Jackson and taking five of six overall.
The offense did major damage in the series opener against the Generals Tuesday, capitalizing on four Jackson errors and racking up 10 hits en route to an 11-6 win.  Starter Brooks Raley picked up his first win since July 14, and Steve Clevenger drove in three runs on two doubles.
A pair of big innings was all the Smokies needed in an 8-6 win on Wednesday.  The offense put up four runs in the second and three runs in the fifth, and the Smokies posted a double-digit hit total for the second night in a row.
Ryan Searle stole the show in Thursday’s 4-1 win, allowing just one run on three hits in seven innings of work.  Junior Lake carried the offense with a solo home run, RBI double, and two runs scored on the night.
The Smokies put up three runs in the seventh inning Friday, propelling them to a 3-2 win.  Trailing by a run, Lake tied it up with an RBI double and Nelson Perez gave the Smokies the lead with a two-run homer.  Starter Trey McNutt picked up the win after lasting seven innings and allowing two runs on seven hits.
It took extra innings for the Smokies to complete the series sweep Saturday, as they broke an eleventh inning tie with three runs on their way to a 7-4 win.  Ty Wright came through with a pinch-hit, bases-clearing double in the final frame to put the Smokies on top.
A five-game series with North Division leader Chattanooga started Sunday, and the Lookouts took the first contest 3-2 in eleven innings.  Rebel Ridling and Jonathan Mota both drove in runs, while Raley allowed two runs over 6.1 innings in the loss.
The Smokies and Lookouts continue their five-game set at Smokies Park this week, and then the Jacksonville Suns come to town for five games starting Friday.  For tickets or more information, call (865) 286-2300, or visit www.smokiesbaseball.com.

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