the bears claw the smokies 9-5

The Tennessee Smokies (47-61, 20-18) got blasted by the Mobile Baybears (46-59, 17-18) who swatted four homeruns, 9-5 at Hank Aaron Stadium Monday night in front of 2,984.

The loss drops Tennessee two games behind Carolina for first place in the Southern League North.
Mobile jumped out on Tennessee scoring five runs in the first three innings. Javier Brito highlighted the Baybears early charge knocking home two runs in the first on the bases loaded single and two more in the third on a long homerun to left.
Cyle Hankerd smashed a two run shot off Smokies starting pitcher James Russell in the fifth.
Russell completed 5 innings in the start allowing six earned runs on eleven hits. He walked one batter and struck out seven.
Mobile added another score in the sixth inning when Bryan Byrne crushed a solo homerun for an 8-0 game.
The Smokies broke up Tony Barnette’s no hit bid in the Tennessee seventh. Matt Matulia singled to center with one retired and would eventually score on a Jake Fox sacrifice fly.
Barnette (7-7) ended up getting the win in the start after retiring the games first 10 batters and no hitting the Smokies through 6.1/3 innings. He pitched a total of 7 1/3 on the night and yielded just five hits and three runs with three strikeouts.
Tennessee added two runs in the eighth on a Josh Lansford double and a Sam Fuld groundout.
Tyler Colvin busted a two run homerun in the ninth for a 9-5 game.
Tennessee and Mobile played game-four of the series Wednesday Night from Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The Smokies will start Donnie Veal (4-7) opposite Hector Ambriz (5-12) of the Baybears. The Smokies will return home to face the Carolina Mudcats in a key five game series from August 1st through 5th.