PENSACOLA, Fla. — The Tennessee Smokies found themselves one win away from a Southern League title for the second year in a row, but this time they took care of business on Tuesday night to capture their first league championship since 2004 and fourth in team history.
Smokies third baseman BJ Murray led the way with a four-RBI effort including a three-run home run in the third inning to lift Tennessee to a dominant 10-3 win against the Blue Wahoos at Blue Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola, Fla.
Murray's long ball broke a 1-1 tie in the third frame and gave the Smokies a lead they would never look back from. He was the only player to record a multi-RBI game for the Smokies, while five of his teammates each recorded one RBI in the win.
Tennessee pitcher Cade Horton posted a five-inning start and allowed only one hit and one run allowed while striking out four batters in the victory.
The Smokies captured their first league title since they were declared co-champions with the Mobile BayBears in 2004. That year's championship series was called off due to Hurricane Ivan. Prior to that title, the Smokies hadn't won a championship since 1978, before the playoff era.
Tennessee was in the same position in the 2022 championship series, when the team won the first game in Pensacola and then dropped both games in Smokies Stadium as the Blue Wahoos came from behind to win the Southern League title two games to one.
The Smokies earned a playoff berth in 2023 by winning the second half of the Southern League North, and defeated first-half winner Chattanooga in a sweep to make to their second-straight championship appearance.