Seven early runs for the Rocket City Trash Pandas led to an 8-3 victory over the Chattanooga Lookouts Thursday night at AT&T Field. This was the third of six games in the series.

Rocket City’s Dalton Pompey notched a one-out single to left in the top half of the first followed by a two-run home run to right by Orlando Martinez, his 10th of the season, to give the Trash Pandas a quick 2-0 advantage right out of the gate.

Chattanooga’s Jose Barerro got one run back for the Lookouts in the bottom of the inning, hitting a ground-rule double and later scoring on an RBI groundout by Braxton Lee.

Rocket City broke the game open and put things out of reach in the top of the second, scoring five runs. Mitch Nay opened the inning with a 451-foot blast, his 10th of the season. Anthony Mulrine and Ray-Patrick Didder followed up with a single to put themselves in scoring position. Martinez was intentionally walked to load the bases, and the Trash Pandas took full advantage. David MacKinnon hit a two-run double to left before Gavin Cecchini hit a two-run single, scoring two more runs and increasing the Trash Pandas lead to 7-1.

Aaron Hernandez started on the mound for the Trash Pandas. In his five innings of work, he gave up one run on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Nathan Bates came out of the bullpen in relief of Hernandez. He kept the Lookouts scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings before two runs crossed home plate for Chattanooga in the eighth.

Cecchini added the eighth run for his team and third RBI of the game in the ninth on an RBI double to left, scoring Luis Aviles.

Keith Rogalla finished things off for the Trash Pandas in the bottom of the ninth, securing the 8-3 win for Rocket City.

Cecchini had two hits with three RBIs. Martinez and MacKinnon each drove in two RBIs. All nine batters in the Trash Pandas lineup had at least one hit to account for their 13-hit total.

Thursday’s game

Chattanooga 11, Rocket City 0

Chattanooga Lookouts starting pitcher Graham Ashcraft, a former Huntsville High School baseball player, threw a complete game shutout, defeating the Rocket City Trash Pandas 11-0 Wednesday night at AT&T Field.

Ashcraft had a perfect game going into the seventh inning before Rocket City’s Ray-Patrick Didder notched an infield single to third. The Trash Pandas only had two hits, the other coming on a bloop single in the the ninth inning by Torii Hunter Jr.

The Lookouts got on the board early in the game. Barrero, the leadoff hitter, opened the game with a solo shot to give the Lookouts a quick 1-0 advantage. The Lookouts increased their lead to 2-0 in the fourth when second baseman Brian Rey hit an RBI single to score catcher Mark Kolozsvary.

Chattanooga opened up the scoring in the fifth, scoring six runs off the Trash Pandas bullpen all by way of home runs. Kolozsvary launched a three-run home run down the left field line. The next homer came off the bat of Rey, an opposite field two-run shot to right center. Chuckie Robinson tallied the sixth run in the inning for the Lookouts, a solo home run, to give the Lookouts an 8-0 lead.

Chattanooga added two more runs in the seventh and their 11th and final run in the eighth on a fielder’s choice off the bat of first baseman Wilson Garcia to bring home the victory.

Ashcraft allowed just two hits in his debut and struck out eight Trash Pandas to get the win. Boomer Biegalski started on the mound for the Trash Pandas. He allowed two runs on five hits with four strikeouts in four innings.

Chattanooga had 14 hits in the game. Garcia led the way in hits, going 3-for-4 with a double, run scored and a RBI.