With the score tied, 2-2 entering the ninth inning, Seth Loman came through with an RBI double to give the Birmingham Barons a 3-2 win over the Chattanooga Lookouts in Friday night action at AT&T Field.
It was the second game in a row Loman won with late-inning heroics. On Thursday, his two-run homer in the eighth provided the margin of victory in a 6-5 Barons win.
Chattanooga entered the scoreboard first in the second inning. J.T. Wise, just activated off of the disabled list, legged out a triple to lead off the inning. C.J. Retherford followed with a single to bring home Wise.
The Lookouts extended their lead to 2-0 in the third inning. With one out, Matt Wallach’s single got the Lookouts going. After a Rafael Ynoa fly out, Nick Buss ripped a double on a full-count pitch, scoring Wallach, who was running on the pitch.
Birmingham’s Justin Greene blasted a solo homer in the fifth inning, while Andy Wilkins also hit a solo shot for the Barons in the seventh to tie the score, 2-2.
The game remained tied until the ninth inning. Lookouts reliever Chris Withrow (2-2) issued a one-out walk to Wilkins and then proceeded to strike out Jose Martinez to record the second out of the inning. Withrow then battled Loman, but the Barons’ designated hitter came through with a double off of the glove of a diving Kyle Russell in right field to score Wilkins.
Dan Remenowsky (1-2) recorded the final out of the eighth inning and three more in the ninth to earn the win for the Barons.
Rafael Ynoa, who entered the game with a 19-game hitting streak, did not collect a hit during the game; however, Nick Buss extended his streak of reaching base to 27 straight games.
Also of note, Zach Lee, Chris Reed, and Withrow — all former first-round picks of the Dodgers — pitched for the Lookouts.
The Lookouts and Barons will wrap-up their five-game series at 7:15 p.m. Saturday.