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Chattanooga: LeCure near perfect in win

By: David Uchiyama
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Mike Goff

The stadium buzzed in whispers.

Sam LeCure’s throwing a no-hitter. Shhh.

It’s a perfect game. Quiet, don’t jinx it.

“After the fifth inning, you get a little uptight out there and want to make a play,” said Chattanooga outfielder Danny Dorn, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, a double and an RBI in the Lookouts’ 3-0 win Friday night against the visiting Tennessee Smokies.

“I was out in left and their bullpen kept asking, ‘Hey, do we have any hits yet?’”

With every ground ball, every popout, every lazy fly ball — and especially every strikeout — as the game progressed, the crowd at At&T Field grew louder and teammates became more scarce in the dugout.

“I noticed what was going on, and I thought that if I got through the sixth inning that a perfect game would be possible,” said LeCure (9-6). “Obviously I was aware, but you don’t want to go out there and do too much.”

The 24-year-old from Texas teased the Smokies (24-24) with fastballs on the corners and breaking balls at the knees, resulting in seven innings of perfection for the Lookouts (20-28).

“He was throwing everything for a strike, and his command was dominant,” Chattanooga manager Mike Goff said. “It’s always been in there. Not only was his stuff very good, but the most impressive thing was that he was able to reach back and hit 92 (mph) when he needed it.”

Six outs away from becoming Lookouts lore, LeCure gave up a solid single through the left side to Smokies cleanup hitter Jake Fox. Travis Buckley threw the Lookouts’ last no-hitter on June 1, 1996, against Huntsville.

“It turns out the guy that got the hit was the guy that I was worried about getting a hit,” said LeCure, who struck out nine, allowed two hits and walked none. “I thought that if I could get him that I would have a chance.

“If I was going to give it up, it was going to be on a hit and not a walk, because I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.”

LeCure retired Tyler Colvin before surrendering another single, signaling the end of his evening.

“We were going to let him keep going as long as he had it going,” Goff said. “The last thing we were going to do at that point was to take a chance at a guy hitting a bomb and getting nothing out of his game.”

Ramon Geronimo finished the eighth inning for LeCure and threw a perfect ninth for his first save and Chattanooga’s second straight shutout.

“It was fun to watch, and he’s very deserving,” pitching coach Chris Bosio said of LeCure. “He earned this one.”

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