July 2, 2004

Zebulon, NC - The Chattanooga Lookouts outwilled the Carolina Mudcats in the second longest-ever nine-inning game in Mudcats history on Friday night, winning 11-8 at Five County Stadium.

The three-hour, 52-minute game, built atop a one-hour, 21-minute rain delay before the first pitch was made.

The Lookouts (8-1) remained in a first place tie with Greenville (8-1), while the Mudcats (3-7) dropped 5 1/2 games behind the co-leaders in the Eastern Division.

Carolina twice rallied from deficits to either tie or lead, scoring three runs in the first to establish a 3-1 game. Then down 5-3 in the fourth, the Mudcats tied the game with two runs against Brian Rose.

Chattanooga scored runs in the fifth and sixth against reliever Brian Strelitz (L, 2-1) to assume control, then pushed four across against Ryan Baker in a 10-batter seventh inning.

The Mudcats scored twice in the eighth inning against reliever Chris Booker. Booker walked the bases loaded in the seventh, pitching with an 11-6 lead, before Josh Wilson (1-4, r, 2b, rbi, sf, w) flew to the right field warning track. Booker then permitted the first four hitters to reach in the eighth before Casey Dehart relieved. The Mudcats scored twice, but a double play ended the inning with the Lookouts ahead 11-8.

Todd Coffey registered his 16th save, and his second in as many nights.

Jeff Inglin (3-4, 2r, 3rbi, w, k) led the Mudcats with three run-scoring singles.

Tom Shearn (W, 5-3) was credited with the win by pitching two innings in relief of Rose.

The game started at 8:36 local time after a rain shower pushed through around 6:30 PM.

On the game's third pitch, leadoff hitter Bobby Darula connected for a solo homer to the opposite field against Trevor Hutchinson.

The longest nine-inning game involving the Mudcats was June 2, 2000 between Tennessee and Carolina at Five County. John Sneed started against Carolina's Shawn Chacon, who now is the Colorado Rockies closer. The Smokies won the game 16-9 in exactly four hours.

Jeff Fulchino (2-2, 5.81) starts against Daylan Childress (0-4, 4.20) on Saturday night at 7:15 PM ET at Five County Stadium.

Chattanooga 1 0 1 3 1 1 4 0 0 --- 11 12 0 8
Carolina 3 0 0 2 0 1 0 2 0 --- 8 12 3 12

WP - Shearn (5-3)
LP - Strelitz (2-1)
S - Coffey (16)

HR - Darula (2), Bannon (7), Peterson (6)

Time: 3:52
Att: 3,553