While the Trash Pandas did not win on the scoreboard in their home opener Tuesday night from Toyota Field in Madison, the excitement of the return of Rocket City baseball drowned out any disappointment of their one-run loss to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

Up to this point, the home of north Alabama’s minor league baseball team had been spending the offseason hosting baseball showcases for high school teams such as Bob Jones and James Clemens, college teams such as Auburn and Tennessee Tech and also hosting seasonal events such as during Christmas.

Now, Toyota Field returns for its second season of hosting Trash Pandas baseball.

The stadium was packed, the press box was filled to the brim and the game treated the fans to a contest that went down to the wire.

Unfortunately, the Trash Pandas would come up short in the game.

It was their first loss of the season following a season-opening sweep of the Birmingham Barons.

The final score in the game was 4 to 3, with the Trash Pandas scoring three runs in the first three innings, but not being able to hold on following four runs by Pensacola in innings 3 through 9.

However, the Trash Pandas, with a 3 and 1 record as of press time April 13, have several bright spots to take out of their first loss.

Leadoff hitter and outfielder Aaron Whitefield continued his solid start to the season, stealing two bases in the game and driving in a run with two outs. This comes on the heels of this two-home run performance on Sunday in Birmingham. He now has a batting average of .385, one of the best on the team, behind Trey Cabbage’s .429. Cabbage also stole two bases in the game.

The game was decided by a late home run from a former Trash Pandas player, Luis Aviles Jr, who hit a bomb in the ninth inning with the game tied at 3-3. The ball barely outreached the outstretched glove of Torii Hunter, Jr., who gave it his all to make a play on the ball.

In his Double-A debut with the Trash Pandas, starting pitcher Coleman Crow put on an impressive performance, going 3.1 innings, striking out four, walking one and allowing one run.

The game was the first of a six-game series versus the Blue Wahoos, before the Trash Pandas travel to take on the Tennessee Smokies.

Following that series, Rocket City will host their rivals, the Birmingham Barons, in a six-game series that begins on Wednesday, April 26.

Scores and updates will be provided.