Saturday Sept. 18, 2010
Posted: 9:38 p.m.
By Kevin Czerwinski
CSNChicago.com
CUBSTennessee AA
Chris Hatchers leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth gave Jacksonville a stunning 1-0 victory over Tennessee Saturday night at The Baseball Grounds. The win clinched a second consecutive Southern League crown for the Suns while the Smokies end a spectacular season on a disappointing note.
The Smokies, who won the series opener before dropping three straight, were shutout in back-to-back games and didnt score a run over their final 19 innings. Tennessee managed only four hits on Saturday, the last of which was a ninth-inning single by Brandon Guyer. Blake Lalli followed with a doubleplay, though, and Robinson Chirinos struck out, setting Hatcher up to be a hero.
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Luke Sommer, who came on in place of Kyle Smith in the eighth, proceeded to serve up the pitch that Hatcher knocked over the wall in left.
Guyer finished with a pair of hits while Russ Canzler and Tennessee starter Craig Muschko had the others. Muschko allowed one hit over seven innings while striking out six.
Kevin Czerwinski can be reached at ktczerwinski@gmail.com.