Barons Fire on All Cylinders in 11-0 Shutout of Clingstones

By Jeff Allison

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Birmingham Barons shutout the Columbus Clingstones 11-0 before 6,764 at Regions Field on Wednesday morning. The Barons pounded out 13 hits while holding the Clingstones to only two hits on the day.

The Barons (8-9) last shutout was an 8-0 win against the Chattanooga Lookouts back on September 3, 2025. Starting pitcher Connor McCullough pitched 4.0 innings, giving up only a hit and a walk with a strikeout. Relief pitcher Jared Kelley (1-1, 11.42) gets the win, going 2.0 innings and giving up only one hit with two strikeouts. Mark McLaughlin pitched 2.0 innings, giving up only one walk with two strikeouts. In the ninth inning, Eric Adler pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts.

The Barons scored early and often in the win. In the top of the third inning, Jorge Corona singled to center field, and Jordan Sprinkle homered to left field, giving the Barons a 2-0 lead. With two outs, Alec Makarewicz walked, stole second, and Wilfred Veras singled home Makarewicz, and the Barons led 3-0.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Corona reached on a throwing error and moved to second on the play. Sprinkle followed with an RBI single to center field, scoring Corona, and the Barons led 4-0. Samuel Zavala singled to put runners on the corners. Braden Montgomery followed with a single to center field, scoring Sprinkle, and the Barons led 5-0.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Jeral Perez walked. Andy Weber was hit by a pitch. Adam Fogel walked to lead the bases. Corona hit a grand slam over the left field wall, and the Barons led 9-0.

In the bottom of the 6th inning, Veras singled to left field. With two outs, Fogel singles to center field, scoring Veras. The Barons led 10-0. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Zavala hit a home run over the center field wall. The Barons led 11-0.

For the Barons, Corona had two hits, with a grand slam, four RBI, and three runs scored. Sprinkle had three hits, a home run, a double, a single, three RBI, and two runs scored.

Up next, the Barons will play Game 3 of the series with Columbus on Thursday at 7:00 pm at Regions Field.