Walk-Off homer dooms Carolina

Published in Sports on May 10, 2007 1:49 PM

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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Tonnys Gutierrez delivered a two-out, walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning and Chattanooga turned back Carolina 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon at AT&T Field.

Gutierrez batted after the Mudcats misplayed a two-out popup that dropped near the left-field line. Cody Strait wound up at second base and following an intentional walk, Gutierrez drove Blake McGinley's pitch into right field.

Strait scored to cap the Lookouts' victory.

Carolina (13-20) entered the ninth inning down 2-0, but Lee Mitchell hit a towering two-run homer to tie the game against Lookouts reliever Calvin Medlock.

Prior to Mitchell's heroics, the game was dominated by the two starting pitchers.

Camilo Vazquez worked seven scoreless innings, permitting just two hits. Vazquez retired the first 13 hitters of the game. Meanwhile, Rick Vanden Hurk fanned 10 for the second straight game, and yielded three hits and one run over six innings.

The Mudcats had just four hits in the game, with Brinkley going 2-4 to lead the offense.

James Russ makes his 2007 debut for Carolina tonight.