Barons Split Sunday Twinbill with Trash Pandas, Claim Game 1 Before Dropping Nightcap

By Jeff Allison

MADISON, Alabama -- The Birmingham Barons split a twinbill with the Rocket City Trash Pandas, claiming Game 1 win, before dropping the nightcap. The Barons won 8-4 in Game 1, but lost 4-2 in Game 2 before 4,939 at Toyota Field on Sunday.

In Game 1, the Barons (6-8) bats broke out with 10 hits and got three home runs on the day. Starting pitcher Christian Oppor pitched 3.0 innings, giving up three hits, three earned runs, four walks, and with one strikeout. Relief pitcher Jake Bockenstedt (1-0, 5.14) gets the win, pitching a perfect fourth inning. Jackson Kelley pitched 2.0 innings, giving up two hits, one earned run, a walk with two strikeouts. Jacob Heatherly pitched the final inning, giving up only a hit with two strikeouts.

The longball was key in the Barons win, and after a Braden Montgomery walk. Recent call-up Alec Makarewicz hit a two-run home run over the right-center field fence, and the Barons led 2-0. Makarewicz had two home runs in his first series of 2026 with the Barons.

Rocket City (6-8) came right back to tie the game at 2-2 on RBI singles by J.J. D'Orazio and a fielder's choice RBI by Nick Rodriguez.

In the top of the third inning, Adam Fogel doubled to left field. Montgomery triples on a sharp line drive to center field, scoring Foget, and the Barons took the 3-2 lead. Wilfred Veras hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Montgomery, and the Barons led 4-2.

In the bottom of the third inning, Cole Fontenelle's RBI triple scores Tucker Flint, and the Trash Pandas cut the Barons lead to 4-3.

In the top of the fifth inning, Fogel singled, Montgomery walked, and Makarewicz singled on a ground ball to left field, scoring Fogel, and the Barons led 5-3.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Barons broke the game open, scoring three runs. With two outs, Jorge Corona singled, and Fogel hit a home run over the left field fence, and the Barons led 7-3. Samuel Zavala followed with a home run to right-center field, and the Barons led 8-3.

The Trash Pandas scored their last run on a Rodriguez RBI single, scoring Flint for an 8-4 score.

For the Barons, Montgomery went 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Montgomery has raised his average to .360 on the season. Makarewicz had two hits, a home run, three RBI, a walk, and a run scored. Fogel went 3-for-3 with a home run, two RBI, and three runs scored in the win.

In Game 2, the Barons (6-9) could only punch out four hits in the 4-2 loss to the Trash Pandas (7-8). The Barons took an early lead in the top of the fifth inning on a Zavala two-run home run, and the Barons led 2-0.

That lead didn't last long as the Trash Pandas scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the 4-2 lead.

Starting pitcher Jake Palisch (0-1, 5.11) took the loss, pitching 4.2 innings, giving up two hits, three earned runs, three walks, with three strikeouts. Chase Watkins pitched 0.1 inning, giving up two hits and one earned run. Jarold Rosado pitched one inning with a strikeout.

Zavala hit his second home run of the doubleheader. The last time that happened was on September 17, 2021 by Tyler Neslony. Jacob Burke had two hits, a run, and a stolen base in the loss.