Barons lose a Heartbreaker in 10 Innings to Clingstones

By Jeff Allison

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Birmingham Barons lose a heartbreaker 5-3 in 10 innings to the Columbus Clingstones before 4,984 at Regions Field on Friday night. The Barons led 3-2 with two out in the ninth inning, but gave up a game-tying home run.

Starting pitcher Jake Palisch pitched 6.0 innings, giving up seven hits, two earned runs, no walks with a strikeout. Jackson Kelley pitched 2.0 perfect innings and got a strikeout. Jairo Iriarte (2-1, 3.09) gets the loss as he went 2.0 innings, giving up two hits, three runs, two earned runs, one walk, with five strikeouts.

Columbus (11-8) scored in the top of the first innings on a David McCabe RBI single. The Clingstones led 1-0. Alec Makarewicz hit a home run over the left field fence, and the game was tied at 1-1 after one inning.

In the bottom of the third inning, Jordan Sprinkle walked, and Samuel Zavala singled to center field, putting runners on the corners with no outs. Braden Montgomery was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Wilfred Veras walked, scoring Sprinkle, and the Barons took a 2-1 lead.

Columbus scored on a Jordan Groshans single, scoring Lizandro Espinoza, and the game was tied at 2-2.

In the top of the seventh inning, Montgomery singled, scoring Sprinkle, and the Barons took the 3-2 lead. Again, Columbus tied the game with a two-out home run in the 9th, and the game went to extra innings.

The Clingstones scored two runs in the 10th inning to take a 5-3 lead. The Barons had the bases loaded with one out, but grounded into a double play to end the game as the Barons fell 5-3 to the Clingstones.