Late-Inning Surge Lifts Barons to 8-5 Victory over Clingstones

By Jeff Allison

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Birmingham Barons stormed back for 8-5 Comeback Win Over the Columbus Clingstones before 2,979 at Regions Field on Sunday afternoon. Trailing 5-1 late in the game, the Barons scored six runs in the seventh inning to take the lead for good. With the win, the Barons split the six-game series with the Clingstones.

Starting pitcher Lucas Gordan had his best outing of the early season. The craft left-hander pitched 6.0 innings, giving up only two hits, one earned run, two walks with five strikeouts. Carson Jacobs pitched one inning, giving up four runs, four earned runs, a walk with a strikeout. Jarold Rosado (2-2, 14.63) gets the win, going 1.0 innings, giving up two hits. Jackson Kelley pitched a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout gets his third save of the season.

The Clingstones (12-9) scored first in the game on a wild pitch, and Lizandro Espinoza scored. Columbus took the 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Jacob Burke hit a home run over the left field fence and tied the game at 1-1.

In the top of the seventh inning, the Clingstones scored four runs with two outs in the inning. The Barons (9-12) came back in the bottom half of that inning.

Four straight walks by Braden Montgomery, Alec Makarewicz, Jeral Perez, and Calvin Harris gave the Barons their first run of the inning. The Barons trailed 5-2. Andy Weber singled to center field, scoring Makarewicz and Perez. The Barons were right back in the game, only trailing 5-4. Adam Fogel doubled to left field, scoring Harris and Weber. The Barons took a 6-5 lead. Jordan Sprinkle singled on a ground ball to left field, scoring Fogel. The Barons led 7-5.

In the top of the eighth inning, the Clingstones had two runners on base, but Rosado got out of the inning on a ground ball to third base for the final out in the inning. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Makarewicz walked. Calvin Harris singled on a ground ball to right field to put runners on the corners. Burke hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Makarewicz. The Barons led 8-5.

Jackson Kelley made quick work of the Clingstones in the ninth inning, getting three outs on only seven pitches. Kelley lowered his ERA to 1.76 on the season.

For the Barons, Harris had two hits, an RBI, a run scored, and two walks. Weber had two hits, two RBI, and a run scored. Fogel and Burke had two RBI in the Barons win.

Up next, the Barons will travel to Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Tuesday to face the Lookouts in a six-game series starting on Tuesday night.