Barons score five in ninth and stun Generals 9-8

BIRMINGHAM, ALA. (June 16, 2013) - The Generals (29-36) surrendered five runs in the bottom of the ninth Sunday and fell to the Birmingham Barons (43-26) at Regions Field, 9-8. Tyler Saladino singled home pinch runner Jared Mitchell for the walk-off Barons victory. Birmingham went into the ninth trailing 8-4 and with the one-run loss Jackson fell to 10-18 in those contests this season. The Generals also dropped to 23-4 when leading after eight innings.

In the first, each team's lead-off hitter opened with a hit. However, Birmingham cashed their base runner in to take an early edge over Jackson 1-0.

Jackson was quiet offensively until the top of the third. After being hit by a pitch and advancing to second on a wild pitch, Steven Proscia (0-3, R) crossed home via an RBI double off the bat of Patrick Brady (2-3, 2 RBI, 2 R). Two batters later, Denny Almonte (1-4, HR, 2 RBI) blasted his third homer of the year which led to a Generals 3-1 lead halfway through three innings. The home run by Almonte was the first homer of the series for Jackson.

A half inning later, Trayce Thompson cut the Generals lead to one run by hitting his seventh home run of the season. Through three frames, Jackson led the Barons 3-2.

In the top of the fourth, Leury Bonilla (0-3, R, BB) walked to open the inning, then, Gabriel Noriega (3-4, RBI, R) smacked his 16th RBI of the season and eighth double to plate Bonilla and ensure the Generals lead.

Birmingham made another surge in the bottom of the fifth. Thompson singled Semien in for their third tally of the day. With the bases loaded, Dan Black tied the game with a sacrifice down the left field line. Chance Ruffin (4.2,6,4,4,3,3,1) could not escape the fifth after a two out walk to load the bases. Kyle Hunter (1.1,0,0,0,2,0,0) came on in relief from the pen. The Barons stranded the bases loaded after a clutch pop up induced by Hunter to end the inning. The two-run inning tied the game at 4-4.

After an inning of zeros on the board, Brady lofted his first Double-A home run to put the Generals up 5-4. On the day, Brady had two RBIs and played errorless defense. In addition, Leon Landry (1-4, R, BB) scored on James Jones' (1-4, RBI, 3B) seventh triple of the season. The Generals took a 6-4 lead over the Barons into the bottom of the seventh.

Another base-hit by Noriega led to another Generals run after Ji-Man Choi (1-4, RBI, 2B, R) doubled off the wall for his seventh RBI of the year. Noriega had a three hit day which led the Generals hitting attack. Choi scored the second run of the inning by way of a passed ball.

The 8-4 score halfway through eight would hold until a monstrous three-run home run by Thompson in the bottom of the ninth. After a wild pitch by Carson Smith (BS, 4, L, 0-3, 0.0,3,2,2,0,0,0) the Barons tied the game in the ninth inning. Jared Mitchell stole third with just one out. With runners on the corners, Saladino singled Mitchell across to walk-off over Jackson.

Tyler Burgoon (H, 2.0,0,0,0,0,3,0) provided two quality innings of relief to prevent any surge for the Barons. Moises Hernandez (0.1,1,3,3,2,0,1) started the ninth inning for Jackson as Smith will suffer the loss. Josh Romanski snagged the win for the Barons.

LHP Anthony Fernandez (3-2, 6.28) will toe the rubber for the Generals as the Barons will start RHP Erik Johnson (7-2, 2.37) in the finale and rubber match of the series. Matinee Monday baseball is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. CST at Regions Field in downtown Birmingham. The game can be heard on 96.5 ESPN Radio, TuneIn Radio App. and jacksongeneralsbaseball.com.

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