Sac fly lifts Mudcats

Published in Sports on June 11, 2007 1:47 PM

• Print
• Email

ZEBULON -- Vince Harrison slid underneath the tag at the plate on a game-winning sacrifice fly and Carolina knocked off Tennessee 5-4 in an 11-inning thriller Sunday afternoon at Five County Stadium.

Harrison led off the Mudcat 11th with a single and advanced to third base on back-to-back hits. With one out, Harrison tagged up on a fly ball and slid under Smokie catcher Casey McGehee to give Carolina its 23rd win of the season.

The Smokies (33-29 overall) started the scoring when left fielder Jorge Cortes tripled in Casey McGehee in the top of the second. Cortes then scored off a Joe Simokaitis sacrifice fly. The Mudcats cut the lead in half when catcher John Purdom hit his first home run as a Mudcat -- a solo shot over the left field wall.

After a pair of runs, Carolina scored twice in the seventh. Mudcats shortstop Jonny Raburn reached on a single and swiped second. He was brought home by a Jai Miller single. After a pair of Miller stolen bases, he scored the go ahead run off a Purdom sacrifice fly, his second RBI of the game

The Smokies tied the game at 4-4 in the ninth, but fell out of first place in the Southern League's North Division with six contests remaining in first-half play.

Chris Mobley (2-0) earned the win in relief while Jerry Blevins (1-2) absorbed the loss.